Desert Rose
by Ritu
Summary: Mikan is a noble who can see the future, and Natsume is a Prince who has been thrown out of his kingdom, by his own family. Mikan takes him in, and makes him her guard. What is in store for Natsume, and why does she trust him?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

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**Author Note: So here is another new story. Please tell me what you think of it. **

**This is a bit Prince of Persia inspired. Not for the plot, but for the setting. So imagine stuff from there when it come to locations, and clothes and weapons etc. **

**I am kinda unsure about the name, so please send me any suggestions that you might have. **

**Thanks a lot for reading and please review! **

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**Chapter 1**

**Natsume's POV: **

I walked on the side of the road. I had lost count of how many days I had been walking, since everyday was the same. I walked on the side of the dusty road while the merciless Sun beat down on me from the sky. I had run out of food yesterday and had finished the last of my water this morning. I blinked, and found myself lying on the ground.

I could not remember when I had fallen. I wanted to just close my eyes, and just sleep. But I knew that I would never wake up from this sleep. I forced my eyes open, and I made myself get up on my knees. I somehow stood up, swaying, but then steadied myself and took a step. I swayed again but I would not let myself fall. I took another step, and I heard someone clapping behind me. Startled I fell down on my knees, and then turned to see who had clapped.

To my shock it was not just one person. Some rich person had to be travelling, and I must have been unconscious for a long time for them to be this close to me without my noticing. The person who had clapped was a beautiful young woman, dressed in exquisite clothes, with a veil covering most of her face. She gave a nod to her servant, who had the tattoo of a star on his cheek, and he ran forward and gave me water. I gulped it down, grateful for every drop. Once I was done, I gave her a bow, while still kneeling. She cocked her head to the side, like a bird, and then gave another nod to her servant before walking away.

Her servant helped me stand, and then took me to one of the camels that they had in their small caravan. He told me that I was to ride that. I nodded, my throat was still too parched for me to talk. We journeyed together, for the next 4 days before we reached the next town. I was fed the same as all the servants, and received the same amount of water. I learned that the young woman was the only daughter of a politician in the nearby city, and was travelling back there from where she had been visiting a certain religious place. I had no idea why she had picked me up, but she had. She had not even glanced in my direction since that day, but she was the only person in the world I owed anything to.

In the town we stayed at the inn, and again I was treated the same as every other servant. It was kind and humbling at the same time. I was told that we would be staying here for three days. On the third day, the Princess (as I had come to call her in my head) called for me. I entered the room to find her standing looking away from me. She turned towards me and I bowed.

"Rise." She said in a beautiful but commanding voice.

I stood up straight. She cocked her head to the side again, then plopped down on the cushions laid out for her, and motioned for me to sit as well. I sat where I was, on the rug. She smiled slightly.

"Will you tell me who you are and why you were where I found you? If you cannot tell me, then say so, but do not lie." she said calmly. I was stunned. Women (or men) of her station, did not ask, they did not give a choice to not answer, they ordered, and they killed you if you disobeyed. I was silent as I considered my options, and then I decided to trust her.

"My name is Natsume Hyuuga. I am the youngest son of the King of Tyria." I said softly, and I saw her small smile. That was when I realized it. She already knew who I was, and yet she had helped me.

"I am Mikan Sakura, the only daughter of the Prime Minister of Slana. I have two choices for you." she said quietly and I nodded, listening.

"Either you can leave now, and go your own way. I will give you enough supplies to last you at least a month, in any direction, and enough gold to start a simple life at any place of your choice, or you can come with me, and be my guard. The choice will be yours." she told me in an assured voice.

"Will you answer a question for me before I choose?" I asked her.

"Ask." She said, and again her attitude showed her high place in society.

"Why did you save me when you knew who I was?" I asked and to my surprise she chuckled.

"Do you know anything about me, Prince?" she asked and I shook my head.

"I am a seer, I can see some parts of the future. Not a lot, but many times what I see is enough. I went on this trip because I saw myself finding a man fallen in the desert. It was you. I sat there for over two hours while you lay unconscious. Once you woke up, and made yourself get up and tried to move forward, tried to live, I helped you achieve that. Nothing more, and nothing less. If you had given up, I would have given up on you as well." she explained.

I stared at her. She had not answered my question. Not really.

She sighed. "It did not matter who you were. You chose to live, and I respected that. I only realized who you were when you bowed to me and I saw your crimson eyes."

I smiled lightly now. "I would be honored to be your guard." I told her, and her face lit up in a beautiful smile. She clapped her hands, and the servant who had helped me that first time entered.

"He will be my guard from now on. Take him to the market and get him everything he wants. Oh and Tsubasa, I would like you to meet Natsume. Please be civil in front of me, though I know you won't become friends." she said sweetly, before shooing us out.

"Is she always like that?" I asked Tsubasa.

He nodded. "She can see the future, and she never lets you forget it."

I did not say anything to him. I had a lot running through my head already, the first of which was how I was going to get away with killing the Princess who had saved my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing Melyss. **

**Please REVIEW!**

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**Chapter 2**

**Natsume's POV: **

I padded silently through the hallway to the Princess's chambers. My father had never gone easy on his sons when it came to training as a warrior and there was no one who could beat me in combat in all of Tyria, but tonight I was an assassin, not a warrior. I was going to kill this seer, and rid the world of at least one of them.

I reached the door, and slowly pushed it open. Everything was silent. I took two steps inside, and suddenly there was a light. I raised my hand to cover my face and shelter my eyes at the same time.

"Will you please close the door Natsume?" The Princess asked me, and I did as she asked, completely stunned.

She had uncovered a lantern, and now she used it to light another one. Then she patted the cushions next to her. "Have a seat." she told me, and I did as she asked again.

That was when she glanced at me, and then giggled.

I raised an eyebrow. I could not help it. She giggled some more, and then leaned back on the cushions, and then she took off the veil, and for the first time I saw her face.

I stared, and without thinking I raised my hand, and lightly stroked the scar on her cheek. It went all the way from the end of her eyebrow to her chin, as if someone had tried to cut off her entire face. She did not flinch, or react in any way to my hand, and I removed it as soon as I realized what I was doing.

She turned away from me and pulled a plate of fruit closer. Then she calmly took the knife from my hand, the one I had wanted to kill her with, and started peeling an apple.

"Just because you can see the future, does not mean that you can change it. I knew that bandits would attack me. At that time, they all thought that my guesses were just lucky. Who would believe a three year old when she said that bandits would attack if she went to visit her grandparents, especially when she was scared of her grandmother? I told my father exactly what would happen if he sent us, but he only scolded the servants for telling me scary stories." She was done peeling the first apple, which she now cut into 6 pieces, and then started peeling the next apple.

"We were attacked. My mother killed, and the blade that sliced her into two, grazed my cheek, just like I had said it would. The guards fought the bandits away, but my father had lost the only woman he loved. No one doubted me after that. No one." she said, still calm, still peeling that apple.

"You would never have killed your father and older brothers, and taken the throne, yet a seer said that you would be the next king. It never occurred to your father that when he threw you out, calling you a traitor, he made that future possible. When something happens to them, you will be somewhere else, and will survive, and will be able to go back and reclaim the throne. The seer did not lie, but the future would be different if the seer had kept his mouth shut." she said softly, cutting up the second apple.

"Then you understand why I hate seers." I told her, and her hands stilled.

"I saw you enter my room tonight. I saw you place a knife on my throat, and then I saw you leave without killing me. If I had gone to sleep tonight, I would have never seen you again in my life." she said without looking at me.

"I will still kill you." I said coldly.

"You will never kill me because no matter what I am, I saved your life." she said looking at me finally.

I was taken aback. She had complete faith in her words. How could she bet her life on this? My eyes narrowed, would she really bet her life on this?

She suddenly pointed my knife at me, and then flipped it around so that the hilt faced me.

"Take it." she snapped. I took it back and placed it in its sheath.

"Prince Natsume, no, just Natsume, swear your loyalty to me. Me and me alone, and you will be free of it only on the day that I set you free. You will be mine till then and will protect me, care for me, and listen to me." she ordered me.

I wanted to tell her to go to hell, but I could not. Those beautiful brown eyes were earnest, compelling, and above all they were honest. She did not lie, as I already knew, and something inside was telling me to trust her. I closed my eyes and made the decision. Everyone I had loved had betrayed me, so now I might as well trust this woman who was willing to trust me and my word even after knowing that I had come to kill her.

"Mikan Sakura, I swear my loyalty to you, and you alone. My blade is yours to command, and I will protect you with my life." I said, touching my blade to my chest, with the hilt pointing towards her. She smiled and turned the sword around, the point towards her now.

"Thank you. I will honor you as my warrior. Now your first test arrives." she said just as a shadow moved inside from the balcony.

I jumped to my feet, and stood in front of her, and one by one all four of my enemies materialized. They were probably robbers, and it only took me a few minutes to take care of them. I pushed/kicked the bodies out onto the balcony, and then threw them down on the terrace.

When I came back, she was sitting right where I had left her, eating an apple. I was about to tell her what I thought of her nonchalant attitude when I realized that her hands were shaking and she was white as a parchment. I knelt in front of her, and raised my hand to touch her face only to realize that my hands were covered in blood. I stopped myself. She grabbed the veil she had taken off, and dipped it in the glass of water that she had at her side, and then started cleaning my hands with it.

I noticed the tears that slid down her cheeks, and fell on my hand but made no comment. _How could I have forgotten that her mother was killed by bandits in front of her when she was a mere child?_

She was done cleaning my right hand and now she started cleaning my left. I fought with two scimitars and so both were equally bloody.

"You would have left me alive, but they would have killed me, and they would not have been quick about it. I could either convince you to swear loyalty to me, or I could have died by your hand. Both were better options than just letting you leave." she said softly.

My hands were clean now, and she looked at my face. Her eyes were slightly red, but she had wiped away the tears.

"Why not call for your other guards?" I asked.

She smiled sadly. "The robbers mixed a drug in the drinks, and so they will not wake till morning. I saw everything, but I saw it all too late. You were my only hope."

"Yet you were not scared." I said in admiration.

"You would have given me a painless death." she said as a matter of factly, and after a long time I chuckled.

"You are truly interesting." I told her and she smiled slightly, though I knew she was still rattled.

"Will you stay here until Tsubasa wakes up?" she asked me.

"I am your servant now. You can order me to stay." I told her and she glared at me.

"I said you were my warrior, not my servant. There is a difference." she snapped and I smirked.

"Yes princess." I answered meekly.

"I am not a princess." she retorted.

"You are mine." I told her, and I saw some color return to her face.

"Call me what you will. Now will you stay with me?" she asked getting up. I nodded as I got up as well, and then I followed her into her bedroom. She flopped down on the cushions and pulled her blankets over herself. Then she suddenly sat up again and tried to give me one of the blankets, but she could not untangle it from the others. I chuckled as I sat down near her feet on the cushions, and then untangled the blankets.

She lay back down, and I placed the blanket she had given me, back on her. She scowled at me.

"I am wearing a cloak. I will be fine. You need it more. Trust me." I told her as spread the blanket over her other one. She gave me a look, and then closed her eyes.

For that entire night I sat there, while she slept. I was amazed at how completely she trusted my word. I had sworn loyalty to her, and already she believed in me. My own family had not believed me when I swore to them that I would never hurt them to take the throne. Yet one sentence, and she slept peacefully in the room, all because of her faith in my words. All because of her faith in me.

I was never going to shatter that faith. I was her warrior now, and I would die before I betrayed her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**lightXdarkness**

**niceasice - Thanks a lot!**

**balloon. peppermint - Don't worry. i would never leave a story unfinished.  
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**LilBlueBear**

**Claerine**

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**Winter's Melody - I meant the movie actually... but I guess the game works too :) **

**rAzUx **

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**Author Note: I am sorry but this chapter is kind of descriptive but I need to explain this stuff to get it out of the way. I hope you guys understand. Thanks for reading and please do review! **

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**Chapter 3 **

**Natsume's POV: **

After another week of travelling, we reached the Capital of Slana. After that night when I had sworn my loyalty to her, I had been given a horse to ride at the side of the Princess's carriage. Now I saw how people's eyes shone with love and respect for her. Every once in a while she would have the carriage stopped so she could talk to someone or the other.

When we finally reached the palace (the second largest in the city, after the King's), there was a large welcoming party waiting for us. Mikan alighted from her carriage and then ran forward to hug the man who could only be her father. He hugged her back and then kissed her forehead. Then we entered the palace, and I was asked by some servants to follow them. I glanced at the Princess, and she gave me a slight nod. I followed the servants and they led me down many hallways until we reached a simple corridor. Here we entered a room that seemed to be a high ranking servant's room.

"This is your temporary room, until Our Lady tells us where she wants you to stay. There is a bath so help yourself, and I'll take your clothes to be washed, and have more clothes sent here. Do you have all the weapons you need or do you want more?" The man asked me.

I was already taking off the cloth that I wore on my head as protection from the desert winds. "I would like to see more weapons." I answered, as I continued stripping. He nodded and I went into the bath. I knew he would take my clothes away, and new ones would be waiting for me when I came out. That was the best thing about loose desert clothes. One size fit almost everyone.

Sure enough, when I came out of the bath, feeling dust free after a very long time, there were clothes waiting for me. They were good looking and easy to move in. I was somewhat impressed, since most clothes that looked good were never comfortable to fight in. All my weapons were also gone, but that did not bother me. They were simple medium grade weapons that Tsubasa and I had bought to only last me the journey.

Just as I wrapped a scarf around my neck, there was a knock on the door and Tsubasa entered. He gave an approving nod to my clothes, and then motioned for me to follow.

"I am taking you to our armory. Since you are the first and so far the only warrior pledged to Our Lady, you are special and need to be outfitted with the best of everything." he explained. I nodded.

"She hasn't told us where you will be staying so I gave you that room for now. Since you had no belongings when we found you, I was instructed to take you shopping again as soon as we got here. Once you have weapons that you like, we will do just that." he told me with a shrug, and I grinned. He was not enjoying the job of babysitter.

We were silent, the rest of the way to the armory. It took me a while to find the perfect scimitars. I found a belt on which to put both their sheaths and wore it at my waist, but then got a cross belt with which to hang them at my back. I would only use the belt at my waist when I had to, since I preferred my swords at my back. Then I tucked a hunting knife into my belt, and a dagger into each of my boots.

After that, we went shopping in the market. I ended up with two more pairs of boots, another cloak, some more clothes, and a rucksack to put all my belongings in. I also bought a wine/water skin, just in case. Tsubasa seemed surprised by my shopping but he made no comment.

It was dusk when we came back to the palace. Tsubasa took me to the dining hall of the soldiers. Food was served round the clock, and so I could come here and eat whenever I wanted. Now that he had explained everything to me, he took me to where the Princess was. Everyone here called her Our Lady, but to me she was my Princess.

We entered a large room. There was a small but pretty fountain on one side, while a huge balcony on the other, that had been converted to a terrace garden. Rugs covered every inch of the floor, and cushions were piled here and there. The Princess sat on one such pile of cushions. She was still wearing a veil.

She indicated another pile to me and I sat down on it. "You can leave us." she ordered Tsubasa. I could see that he did not like this, but he said nothing and left.

I turned my attention back to her.

"How do you like it so far?" she asked.

"So far so good." I answered and she chuckled.

"Tsubasa must've given you a bit of a tour of the palace?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I'll give you the rest of the tour tomorrow. I've decided to leave the decision of where you will stay up to you. You can either stay in the room you were already assigned, or you can stay in the room next to mine." she said calmly.

"Your family will not object to having a stranger sleep in the room next to yours?" I asked amused.

She rolled her eyes. "Firstly, when I say my room, its in fact like my ten or so rooms, with around 5 maids. Secondly, my father knows better than to argue with me by now. I always win."

"Royal Room, of course." I said with a grin. My 'room' at my palace had consisted of around 15 or so rooms, and mine had still been the smallest.

"So have you decided yet?" she asked me testily.

"I would like the room next to yours." I answered and she gave me a bright smile. "Perfect. This is the entrance room to my chambers, so if you go out, the first door you'll come across after turning right is your room. Now please excuse me, I have to have dinner with Father, and then I wanna go to sleep. Come here at noon tomorrow and I'll take you on that tour." she said and then shooed me out.

I left her room and went to what was my new room. Even though it was the room right next to hers, it was still almost at the start of the hallway, while hers had been near the end. It was also a dead end hallway, so I guess if I could not stop someone attacking, she would have nowhere to run. I scowled. The placement of her rooms suddenly seemed dumb, though i guess this way no one could get past me and to the entrance of her rooms. But there was always that terrace garden. We were up really high, but I wondered if we were high enough.

Still thinking about all this I entered my room so it took me a minute to realize that all my belongings had been moved from the previous room to this one already. I chuckled. She had already known what I would decide. It was a simple room, with a bed, a chest, a cupboard and an attached washroom. But its location was excellent to protect this entire hallway. The only silver lining I could see so far among all the security issues.

I had dinner at the soldiers dining hall, and then decided to go to bed early. I would explore the palace on my own tomorrow morning before she took me on a tour.

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I woke up feeling that something was wrong. There was someone in my room. I was up in a second, and then I grabbed the person and pushed him down on the bed, under me, with my dagger pressed to his throat.

"Natsume, get off! You're heavy, and the dagger is scary!" Mikan snapped at me in a hushed voice. I jumped back from her.

"What are you doing here? What if I had killed you?" I hissed angrily.

She sat up rubbing her wrists where I had held them above her head. I had probably given her bruises.

She glared at me. "How was I to know?"

"You're a seer for crying out loud!" I said exasperated, and then sat down next to her. I took her hand in mine and gently massaged her wrist. Yup, there was definitely going to be a bruise there tomorrow.

"I need to show you the secret passageways, and I can hardly do that in the morning." she told me pouting. I switched to her other wrist.

"Better?" I asked her when I was done with my impromptu massage and she nodded.

"How'd you get here anyways?" I asked her and she rolled her eyes. "Secret passageways, remember?"

I sighed. _Of course._

Then she got up and stood giving me her back. "Will you get dressed so we can go?" she asked testily. _Oops._

I pulled on a shirt, then my sheaths went on my back, with the scimitars. Last to go on was the cotton jacket, which came to my knees. I noticed her clothes for the first time and realized that she was only wearing her nightdress. I grabbed my new cloak and wrapped it around her. She gave me a small grateful smile, before dragging me away to my cupboard. She opened the door, and then I realized that there was a secret door hidden inside.

"So thats why its in this freaking corner." I murmured, and Mikan chuckled.

Through the door we entered a thin corridor, which seemed more like a tunnel than anything else.

Mikan picked up a lantern that she must have brought with her. For most of that night, we traveled in that small tunnel like corridor. Mikan explained that due to the really thick walls it was possible to have these passageways. They had traps every here and there, but the traps were deactivated right now. There was a contraption in hers and her fathers room that could activate them.

She told me how it was only a 30 second walk between my room and her personal bedroom, and how I could get in there. She also showed me where her father's room was, and also how to get to some of the main places in the palace. I was glad to be exceptional at directions because I already had it all memorized.

It was a few hours later that I dropped her off at her room and headed back to mine.

"Natsume!" she called me and I turned. She motioned for me to come closer and then gave me my cloak back.

"Oh and we have to talk softly here or someone on the other side of the wall may hear us." she whispered and then slipped through the secret door hidden in her own cupoard and into her room.

Well that explained why she had been whispering the entire night, I mused as I slipped into my own room. I was really tired now, and I dropped off as soon as I had taken off my swords.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Melyss - aww thanks :) **

**balloon. peppermint - nope so far I dont think Tsubasa likes Mikan. and I have some NxM moments for you here. **

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**virginger**

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**Author Note - so here is the next chapter :) Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed! I think I have been updating almost everyday.. but I do have other stories as well... so not too sure how long I will be able to keep this up. **

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews will motivate me to update faster you know. Coz then i know people are waiting to read this. **

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**Chapter 4**

**Natsume's POV: **

I walked a step behind the Princess as she gave me a tour of the Palace. She kept telling me about shortcuts, as well as other information that would be priceless to a guard. I was impressed by how much she knew.

"My Father believes in always being prepared." she said, answering my unasked question.

"So you know this entire palace like the back of your hand." I stated.

"This and the King's palace. I know that they have secret passageways in that palace as well but I do not know where they are, but I do know some secret hiding places. I'll show you those whenever we visit so you'll always be able to find me." she said as we entered one of the side courtyards. Soldiers were practicing here.

"It is said that there used to be a tunnel between this palace and the Royal Palace, but I think its just a myth. I have not found any tunnels anywhere, and I know both places like the back of my hand." she told me with a gleam in her eyes. So there was a tunnel connecting the two palaces. _Interesting._

Suddenly she cocked her head to the side, like a bird, as she did many times. Then she turned to me with a smile.

"Would you not like to practice your swords a bit Natsume?" she asked me innocently. I gave her a nod. Just then one of the soldiers came towards us.

"Your highness!" he greeted her "Will you let us see how good your warrior is? We trust you, but we want to see with our own eyes if we can entrust him with your safety."

"If he wants to, then for sure." the Princess said.

I stepped forward. "I'm Natsume." I told the man.

"I'll tell you my name if you win." he said and led me to the center of the courtyard. The other soldiers stopped their practice matches to watch us.

He threw me a practice sword, and picked up one for himself. I took out both my scimitars, and threw them towards my Princess. They both embedded themselves into the ground, two feet in front of her. I knew she was chuckling at my theatrics.

After all that, I would have thought that the soldier was a good warrior, but it took me only a few minutes to have him on his back, with my sword point pressed to his throat.

I stuck the sword into the ground, and it too stood upright, before holding out my hand to the fallen man. He took my hand and I pulled him up.

"I am called Mochu." he told me easily. "As always, our Lady has chosen well."

I gave him a nod, and started to leave when someone called my name. I turned to see Tsubasa. He grabbed two practice scimitars and threw them at me. I caught them both effortlessly. He grabbed a shield, and then yanked the sword I had been using out of the ground.

"My turn." he said casually, but I knew he was dead serious about this.

We faced each other for a moment, and then without any visible signal we attacked.

After fifteen minutes, I was covered in sweat, but my breathing was still even, while Tsubasa was panting. Another flurry of attacks, another parry, and then suddenly I found that I could not move.

Tsubasa was panting, his hands on his knees. He gave me a rueful smile. "You're the first person who has made me use this in a practice match. I am a shadow manipulator." he told me, as he straightened. Before he could do any more than that, both my scimitars caught fire. My shadow vanished and I was out of his control. He was taken aback, and I had him flat on his back in two seconds, with my (now extinguished) scimitar pressed against his throat.

"You're also the first person who made me do that in a practice match." I told him with a grin. Someone started clapping, and then the whole place was echoing with the sound. It seemed that we had accumulated quite an audience.

I pulled Tsubasa to his feet. Just then a little silver haired boy hurried over to us, to take the practice weapons. I gave him my scimitars while Tsubasa handed him the sword and shield.

"Fire manipulator?" Tsubasa asked me, obviously impressed.

"But not a very powerful one." I lied. He gave me a nod, and we walked back to where Mikan was standing. I yanked my scimitars out of the ground and sheathed them. She gave me a small smile and we resumed the tour as if there had been no interruption.

"Come to my room with me." Mikan said as we finished our tour. I nodded, and knew the reason as soon as we entered her room. Her father, Izumi Yukihira, was waiting for her.

She greeted him and then sat down on a pile of cushions near him. I remained standing by the door.

Her father glanced at me, but did not acknowledge my presence in any way.

"Are you sure that you can trust this man, Mikan?" he asked her.

"Yes." she replied without hesitation.

"He is a good warrior, and even a fire manipulator, but he is not like Tsubasa, who grew up here. We have no way of knowing his intentions." he said earnestly.

"Natsume will never betray me." she told him calmly.

"Do you even know who he is? Where he's from? or what he did before you picked him off the street? He might be a criminal for all you know." her father snapped.

"I know who he is, but that is for me and me alone to know. He swore his loyalty to me, and I trust him." she said calmly.

"Have him swear it in the temple." her father said coldly.

"One can only swear loyalty to a head of the house in the temple. I am not the head of this house." Mikan snapped.

"He can swear loyalty to me." her father said coldly, and Mikan shook her head.

"Natsume is my warrior, and you will not take him away from me. He swore to be loyal to me, and me alone, and that is the way it will be." Mikan said in an icy voice.

"You still have not forgiven me." her father said in soft voice, smiling sadly.

"I forgave you father, but I will not trust you over something like this again. Now I am tired, can you please let me rest?" she said coolly. Her father gave her a nod, and then left the room.

"Natsume come here please." she said and came over and sat down next to her.

"Whats going on?" I asked.

"Tsubasa grew up here, so even though he had not sworn loyalty to anyone, we trusted him. He told me that he wanted to be my warrior, and it made me very happy. When I spoke to my father about it though, he told me that Tsubasa deserved to swear his loyalty at the temple, not just say it wherever, but since only my father would be able to accept it there, Tsubasa ended up swearing to him." she sighed.

"My father is loyal to the king, and on his orders, he made Tsubasa do an assassination. I was not supposed to find out, but its not easy to hide things for me. I made my father release Tsubasa from his oath. Now he does not have sworn loyalty to anyone, but I know that he is still loyal to me. I don't want anything like that to happen again. No matter what, so you must not swear yourself to anyone else." she told me seriously.

I smirked. "The only reason I swore to you was because you saved my life Princess. If not for that, I would still be free."

"You're still somewhat free." she pouted.

"I am glad for that." I answered.

"You..." she stopped suddenly, her eyes rolling up in her head, and she fell back, seeming to go into a trance. I caught her, and waited for it to pass. She had told me that this happened sometimes when she saw the future. It was after a solid minute that she regained consciousness. She blinked up at me, her skin pale, and fear clearly visible in her eyes.

"What did you see?" I asked her, helping her sit. She was shaking. She met my eyes, and somehow that seemed to calm her.

"I.. something bad. Its still not clear, and so I don't know whats really going on, but.. I see.." her eyes became haunted, "I see someone torturing me." I felt my anger rise. Like hell I would ever let anyone touch her.

"I have been having this vision for a while. The same way I saw my mother dying every night, so I don't think that this can be stopped." She took my face in her shaking hands. "If you cannot take me out of there, kill me. Please, I beg of you." she whispered earnestly.

I yanked her close and hugged her. She felt small against me, fragile.

"I will protect you, no matter what." I told her, and then suddenly it occurred to me. Oh GOD!

I made her look at me. "Is your father thinking about your marriage?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened, and she gave me a small nod. Suddenly I knew what she could be seeing, and how I could fix it.

"Listen to me, Mikan." I said softly, "There are only two scenarios possible where you could be tortured. Either I am already dead, or I don't know what's going on."

"How could you not know?" she asked me, her eyes wide.

"If your husband or someone else close to you is hurting you, he would make sure that no one knows." I explained and I saw understanding dawn in her eyes. The world was filled with cruel people as I knew from first hand experience.

"If you ever think that something is off about someone, let me know immediately. If you can't tell me directly, then just ask for more salt in your food in my presence, and I will know and take care of the problem." I said, almost whispering now.

For the first time since she had seen that vision, her eyes lost that haunted look.

"You will save me." she said softly.

"I will never allow any harm to come to you." I told her, and then laid her down on the cushions and lightly stroked her forehead.

"Why do you wear a veil on your face even when you are home?" I asked her, changing the topic.

"The scar is ugly." she said honestly.

"Whoever told you that? Scars give character to a person, they are your badges of honor, saying that you survived while others did not." I told her calmly.

She sat up, her eyes wide. "No way! Who told you that?" she asked.

"Somebody who was a lot wiser than you." I answered.

She cocked her head to the side, something I was startled to realized, I had started finding adorable.

"Who was it?" she asked again.

I sighed, and turned my back towards her. "Pull up the shirt." I ordered, and she did. There near my waist was a scar from the claws of a lion. I felt her fingers glide over it, and then she pulled the shirt higher. I had quite a few scars, and her fingers traced every one of them. She touched one that ran from my shoulder blade, over my side and to my ribs, and I caught her hand when she reached the end.

"Enough." I said and she allowed the shirt to drop. I released her hand, and turned back to face her.

"My younger sister used to say that." I told her.

"Tell me more about her." she asked softly.

"She.. was the most gentle and kind person I knew. She died four years ago. If she had still been alive now, then either she would not have allowed them to throw me out, or she would be right here with me." I said trying to keep my voice even.

"I am sorry." she said sincerely. I nodded. There really was nothing to say. I could still see Aoi's pale face as she lay dying, and I was helpless to save her. I pushed those thoughts away, and concentrated on the woman in front of me. I would never allow her to meet the same fate as my sister.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of is characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**natsumeslover**

**koni **

**yuuki36 **

**() **

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**rAzUx **

**Claerine**

**Author Note: This is a bit short, but the next chapter will be long :) Oh and please Review! I need feedback! oh and sorry in advance for the cliffy-ish ending... maybe i could say that I will only update if i get reviews... but i do get reviews so i m not gonna be stupid enough to blackmail ;) I should update again in the next 2 days. or maybe, if i do get some reviews, i'll get motivated and write tonight :) **

**Later!**

* * *

I had been exercising in the soldier's yard for over an hour when I saw one of Mikan's maids hurrying towards me. Since I was done with my hundred push ups (standing on one hand and doing them) I flipped and stood straight to speak to her.

"Our Lady wants to see you immediately." the maid told me. I gave her a nod and she hurried off. I took the towel that the little boy who hung around the barracks offered and wiped all the sweat away. I handed him the towel and patted his head before leaving. If I remembered right, his name was Youichi, and he was an orphan that my Princess had picked up from the streets. Just like me.

I entered her room to find her pacing back and forth. She whirled around to face me. "We are going on a journey tomorrow." she said agitated. I waited for the rest.

"You need to prepare as if we were going to a war. Anything can happen on this trip." she said wringing her hands and resuming her pacing. "Tsubasa is also coming with us." she told me as an after thought. I nodded and turned to leave.

"Natsume!" she called from behind. I turned back.

"No matter what happens, do not leave me alone while we are there. Either you or Tsubasa need to be with me at all times, no matter what anyone says." she said her voice breaking.

"Princess, I will keep you safe." I told her confidently.

"And I'll make sure he does his job." Tsubasa said from behind me. I wasn't surprised since I knew he had been there but my Princess jumped.

She glared at Tsubasa. "Stop scaring me. You already know what I have to face!" then she motioned for us to leave her and we walked out together.

"So whats going on?" I asked Tsubasa.

"She has been ordered to visit her grandmother." Tsubasa said on a sigh. I raised an eyebrow and he gave me a you'll-see-soon-enough look before walking away. I entered my room to take a bath and then pack for a 'war'.

* * *

We left at dawn, clichéd as it did sound. There were 20 soldiers, two maids, the Princess, Tsubasa and I. It was not a huge caravan, and certainly a lot smaller than the one in which the Princess had found me, but we were only travelling to a city that was two days away. We arrived exactly on schedule, and the trip was uneventful as long as one did not count the Princess's smoking temper.

It was late afternoon when we reached the Princess's grandparents villa.

To my amazement, the grandmother was just like any other, doting and kind. I kept my opinions to myself though, since my Princess looked like she was in actual pain. As we headed inside the villa, some servants asked me to follow them, but I shook my head. I shared a look with Tsubasa and he went with them, convincing them that I would follow soon enough.

The Princess's rooms were on the second floor, with a lovely terrace garden. I said nothing as I followed her, her grandparents and her maids in there. Then I stood quietly in a corner. I saw her grandmother take notice of me, but she did not comment. After a small conversation, the grandparents left.

Princess Mikan stood up and walked over to me. She really did look like she was hurting.

"Soak in a bath, that usually helps." Tsubasa said as he entered the room. He looked clean, and fed, I thought wryly.

Mikan nodded to him, winced and then went off, presumably to soak in a hot bath. Tsubasa turned to me.

"You should take a break now. When she comes out of the bath, if you could heat up your hands and massage her head, that'll help her a lot." he told me, and I took his advice. There was a servant waiting outside to lead me to the room assigned to me.

* * *

When I came back, Tsubasa was standing at the entrance to the Princess's bedroom. He turned to me and I saw relief flit across his face before he hid it. I went in to find her curled up on the bed, her hands pressed tightly to her head. I sat on the bed, and pulled her close to me, and then pried her hands from her face and pressed my own hands to her forehead and radiating as much heat as I dared. After 15 minutes she finally began to relax. A relieved sigh went across the room.

I stayed where I was for the next two hours while she napped. I wanted to know what had made her head hurt so bad but she was sleeping and the maids and Tsubasa had vanished. Finally she opened her eyes and blinked up at me.

"Natsume?" she asked in a faint voice.

"Yes Princess." I answered softly, and I saw her smile, before she sat up.

"This is why I cannot visit here. My head hurts when my grandmother is near, and she blocks my sight." Mikan said in a small voice, and I knew what 'sight' she was talking about.

"It seems I can make you feel better." I said as I stood up.

"Thank you." she said and I smirked.

"Aren't I your eternal slave Princess?" I teased, and she threw a cushion at me, but her aim went wide, and it was Tsubasa, who had just appeared at the door, who caught it.

"You must be feeling better to be throwing things around." he said grinning. "Your grandmother is visiting the temple tonight, so its a good time to spend with your Grandpa." he told her before she could retort, and she jumped to her feet, and then promptly would have fallen down if I had not caught her.

"You're not that well." I told her but she brushed it off as she hurried to meet her Grandpa. This time Tsubasa and I stood guard outside the room, letting them have their reunion.

* * *

We stayed at the villa for two more days, before starting on the journey home. I had spent all of the last two nights staying with Mikan, trying to keep her headaches away, so I was half asleep on my horse as we traveled through the desert.

When we made camp, I gulped down my food and crashed. If I was dead on my feet, I made a very lousy guard, and so I knew I needed to rest. The second day I was well rested, which as it turned out, was a very very good thing.

Around noon, the Princess called me and Tsubasa.

"There are bandits waiting to ambush us behind those hills." she told us. "I am sorry that this is all the warning I am able to give you."

"I'll go ahead and take care of them." I said calmly, ignoring her apology, but she shook her head.

"They are in two groups. The second one is behind those dunes, and will come at our backs." she pointed.

"Do you have any idea how many men are in each group?" Tsubasa asked her.

"Around 20 in both the groups." she answered after a minute. Tsubasa and I exchanged a look, and I called the captain of the soldiers to us.

"Keep moving forward but slow your pace. we're going to go ahead and take care of the bandits, but you must protect the Princess while we are gone." I told him and he nodded gravely.

Tsubasa and I left our horses, and slipped away from the caravan, he was headed for the group behind us, while I was headed to the one up front. We already had a bet going on who would finish earlier. I intended to win it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**koni **

**yuuki36 - i tried answering your question. I hope this is good enough. **

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**LilBlueBear**

**Crazy About Coffee - scimitars are kind of curved swords, a bit like pirate cutlasses. The idea is from what Drizzt Du'urden uses in the R.A. Salvatore books. You can search for him on google images. **

**A101 - i wonder if u'll end up reading this tonight. **

* * *

**Author Note: its 4:14 am, but i am pretty happy to be done with the chapter. I hope I have some reviews waiting when i wake up :) I also have started reading One Piece and its unexpectedly (for me) very good. I am not all that sure abt natsume's speech at the end, but it does answer a question everyone was worried about. Thanks for reading and do review!**

* * *

I sneaked close to the group of bandits. They were waiting patiently for our caravan, assured of their plan. I had already killed three of them before the others even realized what was going on. Honestly, they were a black mark on the word bandits. It took me just ten minutes to be done. I decided to go check on Tsubasa just so I could gloat.

Tsubasa's fight was still going on, and so i sat on the sand waiting for him to finish.

I saw one bandit trying to sneak up on him, and threw my dagger at his hand. Tsubasa finished the job. I decided to go back to the caravan, but right as I turned around, a dagger whistled in my direction. I jumped aside but it still embedded itself in my side. I pulled it out, and then leapt into battle. Within a minute everyone but the two of us was dead.

"You lose." I told Tsubasa as I wrapped my scarf tightly over my wound.

He handed me my dagger, and then glanced at the wound. "How bad?"

"Just a scratch." I lied, and we ran all the way back to the caravan. The Princess was waiting for us, looking worried.

"Thank God you're both alright!" she exclaimed when she saw us.

"Who do you think I am?" Tsubasa and I said at the same time and she giggled.

Just then her gaze became blank, and when she came to, she looked worried. "More bandits. We need to get home as soon as possible." she said urgently. We gave her a nod, but then weighed our options while poring over a map. If we were to push nonstop then it would be dawn tomorrow when we would reach the Capital. Not only would we be tired, but we would be travelling at night and through dangerous territory. Plus there was no way we could outrun the bandits.

Tsubasa showed me some cliffs on the map. "If we can make camp there for the night, we would have the cliff at our backs, and will be able to fight properly. Together we should be able to take care of any bandits."

I smirked. "Sounds like a plan." I moved next to the carriage and told the Princess of our plan, while Tsubasa made the caravan speed up so that we would have time to prepare to greet our uninvited guests properly.

* * *

I was sprawled on the ground as I watched the Sun rise over the horizon. Everything turned gold, while the blood we had spilled in the night started to show its red hue, rather than the black color it had been the entire night. Tsubasa was next to me, looking haggard, and covered in blood, just as I was. I raised my fist and he banged his fist to mine.

"Victory!" we said at the same time before falling back into the sand.

"Lets not do that again anytime soon" Tsubasa said and I agreed wholeheartedly. We had made camp before dusk at the base of the cliffs. The camp was fortified and our soldiers posted all around its tiny perimeter. Tsubasa and I had gone on the offensive, and though it had been a hard and bloody battle we won.

I did not even want to look at the wound at my side or count the number of gashes I now had. I pushed myself up from the sand.

"C'mon, or she'll be rushing here at any moment." I said as I started trudging back towards the camp. Just as i had predicted, the soldiers were having a hard time keeping my Princess in the camp.

"NATSUME! TSUBASA!" she yelled when she saw us and I grinned.

"You won't be getting rid of us that easy Princess." I told her, and she smiled in relief.

I swayed; I guess I had lost a lot of blood and then my knees buckled. I tried to clear my head, but just couldn't, but I saw her horrified expression and made myself get up.

"Forgive me for that." I said before walking off to a tent. I collapsed as soon as I was inside and was woken up by something cold touching me. I grabbed the hand and realized it was one of the maids. I think her name was Nobara.

"I am just cleaning the blood so I can see where you are wounded." she told me. I let go of her hand, and sat up.

"I'll be fine. Just give me some water. We need to be on our way, in case there are any more bandits." I said. She gave me a dubious look but did as I asked.

The camp was packed and we started the last leg of our journey with an hour of finishing the fight. I saw the princess give me worried glances but I ignored them. It was all I could do to stay on my horse.

When we finally came with sights of the city, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I smiled and turned to my Princess.

"Doesn't it look lovely?" I asked her, but my vision was blurry, and I wasn't able to hear her response.

* * *

I blinked, and realized that I was in the carriage. I blinked again and her face came into focus. My head was in her lap, and she looked panicked. I smiled lightly.

"I'll be fine." I told her.

"Liar! Thats what you said this morning and look at you now." she said, her anger trying to hide her fear.

I closed my eyes. I was too tired to argue with her.

I could feel her trembling fingers stroking my face, and her constant prayer that she murmured under her breath.

When I next opened my eyes, I was back in my room. I felt fingers probing the wound I had received in my side, as well as other cuts. I stayed still, mostly because I was too tired to move.

"This really is no place for you." I heard someone say.

"I am not going anywhere." my Princess replied and I grinned (mentally). She would never let anyone order her around, but I agreed with the man. She needed to rest, or she might fall sick too. I opened my mouth to speak, but everything faded once again.

* * *

I must have been much worse that I had initially thought because I kept flitting in and out of consciousness, and also because every time I woke up, I heard the murmur of her prayers. There was no way that she was still in my room praying.

I woke up and lay there, completely still, just enjoying the feeling of having my mind clear. Slowly I opened my eyes, and I was still in my room. I sat up, and immediately I felt dizzy. I threw out my hand to support me, and it rested on someone else's hand. I looked to my side and there she was, kneeling on the floor, asleep with her head resting on my bed. I don't know how much time had passed since we had come back, but she was still wearing the same clothes, stained with my blood. I stroked her cheek. This foolish child.

She woke up and blinked owlishly at me for a moment, before she cried out and threw herself into my arms, holding me tightly. Pain exploded in my wound and I saw stars, but I did not make a single sound. She finally let go of me, tears in her eyes.

"You DAMNED IDIOT! What were you thinking hiding a wound like that? What if something had happened to you?" she said, her fist slamming into my chest with every two words. I just pulled her close and held her against me.

"Haven't I told you enough times that I am not that easy to get rid of?" I said and she glared at me.

"You almost died." she said and a choked sob escaped her.

"I am alive and with you right now." I said and more tears fell from her eyes.

"I couldn't see it. I barely saw the bandits, and I could not see you getting better. She does this to me, she is a vision nullifier, so Grandmother makes me blind. I am sorry, if I had been able to see better then you would have been fine." she said, her eyes filled with guilt.

I wiped the tears away. "I would still have won even if you could not see anything. But because you could see, nobody died, so stop talking nonsense. How long have I been out?" I asked at the end, done with the tears.

"Two days." she answered.

"And you were here the entire time?" I exploded.

She gave me a small nod. "You dummy! What if you had fallen sick?" I snapped, and she sniffed. Oh damn, i did not want to see more tears. I fell back on the pillows.

"I am fine so you can also rest now." I told her, and she shook her head. I sighed.

"Do whatever you want." I said coldly, but I knew she would not change her mind.

* * *

I sat in the Sun. I wanted to get back to training but I knew I was still too weak. It had been two days since I had woken up, and I was already walking, much to the astonishment of my doctors, and to my Princess's delight. She pestered me a lot these days, and so now I sat in one of the terrace gardens, somewhat hiding from her, and soaking up the afternoon Sun.

I decided to go eat an early dinner and after that, I headed to my room. I would rest so I could heal, no matter how annoying I found it.

The Princess was waiting for me in my room.

"You're avoiding me." she accused as soon as she saw me.

"Perhaps." I answered, sitting down on the bed, facing her.

"Why?" she asked, and I saw insecurity creeping into her eyes. This was why I stayed away from relationships, no matter what kind.

I sighed. "Princess, I am your warrior. I understand that you care for me, but, I am still just your servant."

I saw her open her mouth to protest and then close it.

"Does it matter to you that much? Then Natsume, I release you.." she started.

"YOU DAMNED FOOL!" I yelled and she stopped.

I was breathing hard, as I glared at her, and she seemed to shrink away from me.

I closed my eyes. "C'mere Mikan." I said quietly. I felt the bed dip next to me when she sat down.

"I.." I stopped, and opened my eyes to look at her.

"It is easy to trust you on facts, and it is just as easy to protect you because I vowed to. I don't want to entangle my emotions with you. I saw my sister die in front of my eyes because the man we had judged to be a good husband for her, had slapped her so hard that she fell down the stairs. Nothing I did to him, could bring her or her unborn baby back. The family that meant more to me than anything else in the world, threw me out of their lives without a second thought. It is easy to trust you, when i do it because of rational reasons, but please no more than that. I am sick of being betrayed." I said in a tired voice, angry at her for making me tell her things I would never want her to know about the world, and I saw resolve form in her wide eyes.

She slipped off the bed and knelt in front of me.

"Natsume Hyuuga, exiled Prince of Tyria, I vow to you now that I will never be dishonest to you. I will never betray you." she said in an assured voice. I sat there stunned. She was mad, completely and absolutely mad, and I would have it no other way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**A101**

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**yuuki36**

**Claerine**

**Crazy About Coffee **

* * *

**Author Note: I swear I am crazy. I replied to all the reviews, had finished the chapter and just had to add thanks, and I got side tracked. Somehow I ended up on the reviews page for Redemption, and decided to write an epilogue for it, and I only remembered Desert Rose when I came back to this page to write the said epilogue.*sigh* somedays... **

**anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter.**

**Oh and Mikan only wanted Natsume and/or Tsubasa to stay with her 24/7 at her grandmom's place. It was not applicable to the journey as well. **

**Thanks for reading and please review! **

* * *

**Tsubasa's POV:**

All I could hear were those same words repeating themselves in my head.

_Natsume Hyuuga, exiled Prince of Tyria._

Thats who he was. Thats why Mikan would not tell anyone his past.

He was the Prince who had burned his brother in law (A/N: Aoi's husband) to death in the middle of the city in an inferno that had been visible for a 1000 miles. Even though he was the youngest Prince, rumors abounded that he would be the next king, until suddenly he had been declared a traitor and had vanished.

Why had she picked him up? She must have known, there was no way that she did not know who he was, and yet she brought such a man home, yet she trusted him with her life.

I came to a standstill._ I am sick of being betrayed._ Those were the words he had said, and they had the ring of truth. Maybe, all that I knew about him was not all that he was. He had defended Mikan with his life. He had proven himself.

I saw again the morning when we had watched the Sun rise over a bloody desert, and how he had been more worried about her, than he had been about the gaping hole in his side. No. I could not ignore all that. No matter what his past, he was loyal to Mikan, and that was all that mattered.

_I will never betray you._ I guess Mikan was loyal to him too, or maybe it was more than that. Maybe she was falling for him. I started pacing as I thought about it.

No matter how I looked at it, there would be a lot of problems that they would have to face, if they fell in love with each other. At the same time, I would rather that she be with him, then some of the nobles I had seen. At least he cared for her, and he respected her as a person. I came to a decision; no matter what, I would support Mikan. She was capable of making her decisions, and instead of worrying about unnecessary things, I would just place my faith in her.

* * *

**Natsume's POV:**

The next three weeks passed without any incident. The Princess was acting like a Princess, and I was back to being a grouchy warrior who trained 18 hours a day. I relaxed into my daily routine and that night when she had vowed to me seemed like a distant dream.

"Natsume!" My Princess called and I jumped to my feet from the ground where I had been doing push ups and strode to her side, but she just motioned for me to follow before heading off. We entered her room, and she pulled off the cloak she had been wearing.

"I want to go out into the market like a normal citizen. Will this work?" she asked me twirling around. She was dressed in commoner clothing, and I had to admit her disguise was pretty good. Since women wearing veils were pretty common, her habit of always wearing it, would not stand out either.

"We'll be fine." I said and she beamed.

"Well get ready then. We're leaving as soon as you are done." she said impatiently and I strode to my room. My normal clothes would do, but I strapped my scimitars to the belt at my waist, and then pulled on a loose knee length cotton jacket, and then threw on two scarves. I was back in her room in under two minutes.

"Lets go!" she said punching the air in joy.

The market trip turned out to be a lot of fun for my Princess. She enjoyed shopping as well as seeing all the displays in the marketplace. When we got to a crowded section of the market, I wrapped my arm around her, and led her through it easily. I saw her look at me with wide eyes, unaccustomed as she was, to the crowd pressing in on her so I slipped us into a side lane so she could catch a breather.

"Why did the people increase all of a sudden?" she asked me peering at the main street.

"We just got to a busy market thats all." I chuckled, and she glared at me.

"Stop laughing at me." she snapped, entertaining me even more.

"So what do you want to do next?" I asked her.

"I'm hungry. We should have packed some food and brought it along." she said gloomily.

I shook my head in amazement. "Come Princess, lets introduce you to street food." I said dragging her back into the thoroughfare.

* * *

"Mmmm that was heavenly! We should do this more often." she said happily as we left the food market. She had tried more street food today in one go, then I had ever seen anyone do. It had been funny to see her try to eat without removing her veil. She somehow managed, but I had a feeling she'd get me back for laughing at her.

I scowled as I heard the sound of hooves and yelling. I pulled her to the side, my arms going around her protectively just as a wild horse ran by with three men running behind it, trying to catch it.

"Natsume, you have to help them." she said looking up at me with those lovely eyes. I sighed but before I could do anything more, I heard a cheer coming from the direction in which the horse had run.

"I think they did just fine without my help." I said and she scowled. "They wer..." she murmured right before she fainted. I caught her and then cradled her close, horrified.

"Princess, wake up!" I said shaking her, and then, "Mikan! wake up, please!" I said shaking her harder but she just flopped around like a rag doll.

I picked her up, and walked as fast as I could to the palace. When suddenly, "You can put me down now. I can walk the rest of the way." she said grinning evilly.

I dropped her in shock. She glared at me from the ground, rubbing her back, "That was rude you know. For all you know, I might really..." she started but I fell down on my knees and pulled her into my arms and held her for all that I was worth.

"Natsume?" she asked softly and I relaxed my hold a bit and she peered up at me, leaning back, using my arms for support. Her eyes widened and she caressed my face.

"I am sorry." she said softly, and I allowed myself to lean closer to her, to convince myself that she was fine.

"Its fine as long as you're okay." I told her, and I saw guilt flit into her eyes. I made myself smirk. "Now that you can walk, start walking." I said and I stood up and pulled her to her feet as well. It took all my willpower to step away from her. I knew she wasn't fooled but she played along anyways, as we headed back to the Palace.

* * *

I knew I was having a nightmare but I could not wake up but someone shook me awake. I grabbed that person and had them under me, with my hand pressed to their throat by reflex before I realized that it was Mikan. I rolled off her, and stood up. She sat up and massaged her throat.

"You will really get hurt if you keep sneaking up on me." I told her in a quiet voice. I was angry at her, but I was also grateful thats she had woken me up.

"You were unarmed, and I was sure you'd realize it was me before you actually did hurt me." she replied.

Fire spread on my hands and licked up my arms. "I am never unarmed." I told her, though I did not reply to her comment about not hurting her. The fire vanished, and Princess opened her mouth to say something but I clapped my hand on her mouth and pushed her down, my body covering hers. I kicked the blanket over us, hiding her completely.

"Quiet." I whispered in my princess's ear before sliding my hand off her mouth and using it to support my weight. She was completely under me, and I knew I was heavy. She lay still, silent as a mouse, and after a while she heard what I had. Footsteps. She gave me a panicked look, but did not move.

I listened intently, as the footsteps came to a stop in front of my door. Unless the person was right next to the bed with a lantern, they would never be able to see Mikan. I heard the door creak open, and someone stuck their head in. I kept breathing normally, evenly, while my Princess held her breath. The head moved out, and the door was closed. We stayed right where we were, not moving a muscle.

The footsteps started again, going out of the hallway. Afterl they faded into the distance, I moved off the Princess, and fell back onto the bed. She pulled the blanket over her, and I realized that she was shaking. I gently pulled her close and hugged her. She relaxed after a while and then she just lay there nestled against me.

"Did you recognize who it was?" she asked me in a whisper.

"No, but I will be able to recognize those footsteps if I ever hear them again." I told her and she nodded.

"Why would someone check on you?" she asked wondering. She was so innocent sometimes.

"To make sure that I am not with you." I told her and she looked surprised. "What difference does that make?"

"Princess, think about this." I said, waving my hand, indicating us. I was lying on my side, my head propped on my pillow, while she lay on her side as well, facing me, and using my arm as a pillow. I saw color stain her cheeks as she finally understood, but she still stayed right where she was, showing no intention to move.

"How did you know how to hide me under you so that they wouldn't notice me?" she asked. I wanted to chuckle. She really was innocent to ask such a thing.

"Lets just say that my brother's girlfriends visited me, and my brother's were always looking for proof. If they ever came within two feet of my bed, I would burn them to a crisp, and they knew it. The way you were hidden, they would literally have to be right next to me to know that you were here." I explained, and to my amusement she was blushing even more now.

"Isn't that wrong?" she asked me.

"I would never touch their wives, but this was a different matter entirely. If you're gonna have a harem, then you should be able to keep them loyal." I said nonchalantly.

Mikan giggled. "Did you have a harem too?"

"Nope. Too much trouble." I answered, making her chuckle.

"Will you have one when you become king?" she asked, and I felt myself still.

"Did you see my future?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "I told you what I thought of the prediction made about you being King by that seer. I haven't been able to see far into your future, though I have tried. Maybe its because your future is constantly changing. Anyways, will you have a harem when you're king?" she asked brightly.

I smirked. "Only if you promise to be a part of it."

My Princess glared at me. "I don't share." she snapped, and I grinned.

"You will be in trouble then. Hardly any noble is loyal to his wife these days." I teased.

"Then I will wait for someone who will be. Forget a harem, I won't allow any cheating whatsoever." she told me seriously.

I chuckled. "Good girl."

"Now stop being an annoying pest, and get ready, I have to show you the tunnel that leads to the King's Palace and the tunnel that leads out of the city." she said as she scrambled off the bed.

I did as she asked still amused, but all my humor died when I saw how long the first tunnel was. I was not going to get any sleep tonight, and unlike her, I could not sleep till noon. It was going to be a long night and an even longer day tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for all the reviews:**

**Claerine**

**FoxRay**

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**yuuki36 **

**Crazy About Coffee **

**PaRaDiSe iN RaRo **

**natsumeslover **

* * *

**Author Note: So I think this chapter does answer some of the questions. I am sorry that I did not get to reply to the reviews... I intended to, but then real life kinda decided that I don't get any more time. Sigh. Anyways, please do leave reviews :) **

**This is currently my favorite story among the stories I am writing right now. Which is why I am being so terrible about updating shalom 2.. gomen. **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

I scowled as someone knocked on my door. It had been around 3 in the morning when the Princess and I had come back from the tunnels. For some reason, she had only shown me the tunnel between the King's Palace and this one. She was going to show me the tunnel from the palace to out of the city tomorrow night. After coming back, I had just closed my eyes, and now someone was banging on the door. This had better be important.

"Come in!" I said rolling over in bed, until I faced the door.

To my surprise, Tsubasa entered. "I need your help with something." he said and I sat up.

"Why should I help you?" I retorted.

"I want to try and sneak out of the palace, and then sneak back in. It'll be a good way to find all the holes in the security. You do want to make sure that the place stays assassin free right?" he said calmly, leaning against the door frame. Cursing under my breath, I got out of bed, and got ready.

So that was how I ended up outside the palace at 4 in the morning, my breath misting, and my only companion was an annoying shadow manipulator.

"You idiots!" Someone called from behind us and we turned as one to see my Princess standing there, glaring at us in her nightgown. She was barefoot and her teeth were chattering. I slipped off my cloak as I walked towards her, and wrapped it around her, before picking her up. She gave me a glare but did not protest.

"We need to get back in immediately." she snapped, and then she started giving us directions. I ran carrying her, with Tsubasa right next to me. We raced to some old ruins near the edge of the city, and entered a tunnel from there. After that the Princess led us through a maze of tunnels that even I could not keep track of, before we reached a long tunnel that curved endlessly. At the end of it, we found ourselves in the tunnels that spanned the entire palace.

My Princess jumped down from my arms.

"Listen to me now, both of you. Get back to your rooms and pretend to be asleep as fast as you can. No matter what, do not leave your rooms again tonight." she said urgently. Tsubasa gave us a nod, before rushing off to his room, while we ran together to where her rooms were. At the entrance to my room, she caught my collar and yanked me close.

"Do not leave me tomorrow." she said before she ran to her room. I slipped into my own room, and quickly took off my clothes, and shoes before getting into bed.

Two minutes later, I heard footsteps and someone peeked into my room, a second time in the same night. I kept my breathing even and slow, as I lay tangled in the blankets. The person left, and again they left the corridor. So no one had the guts to check on the Princess, but they were keeping an eye on me. Interesting.

* * *

**Next Morning: **

I was woken up by my Princess. Again. At least I did not attack her this time. I sat up in bed and raised an eyebrow, but she seemed distracted.

"Get ready." she told me before leaving the room. When I exited my room, she was pacing outside.

As soon as she saw me, she started walking. Our destination turned out to be the entrance hall, where it seemed that we were supposed to greet a guest. I watched with narrowed eyes as my Princess was introduced to a Lord Reo Mouri. She was the epitome of polite and cordial, but I could tell that something was setting her on edge.

* * *

For the next two days, everything revolved around the guest, Lord Reo, and my Princess became more and more frantic. Finally on the second night, I had had enough.

"Princess, what is bothering you so much?" I asked her as we entered her room.

She ignored me and walked towards her bedroom, but I followed.

"Talk to me." I said as we entered her room.

She whirled around to face me. "I see me going to visit the estate of that man, and I see terrible things happening to me. Yet I have no proof if he is the culprit because I cannot see his face. So what do I do? Everything about him exudes charm, yet my visions become more horrific by the moment. I don't want that to happen to me, Natsume!" by the end tears were flowing down her cheeks. I stepped forward, but before I could do anymore than that, one of the maids rushed in.

"Mikan-sama, your father is coming to visit you." she said. My Princess wiped her tears away and we both stepped into the outer room. I took my position near the entrance, while she sat on some cushions, her face stoic.

I watched as father and daughter exchanged greetings, and he took a seat besides her.

"How do you like Lord Reo?" he father asked her.

"Why are you asking me that father?" she replied calmly.

"He seems like a good match for you." he answered honestly. At least the man was clear about his intentions.

My Princess shook her head. "Not him, and before you ask, no I will not visit his estate to try to get to know him better." she said, and for the first time some of the fear leaked into her voice.

I saw her father raise an eyebrow at the sudden display of emotion. This was not going well.

"My Lord, can I speak on the matter?" I asked courteously.

I saw Lord Izumi frown, but then he nodded.

"The Princess has been haunted by terrible visions for some time now. She thinks that they are somehow connected to Lord Reo. In such a situation, even if he is innocent, sending her there might at the very least be harmful to her health, and at the worst her prediction might come true. Would it not be better to send someone to investigate the estate before trusting this Lord with her well being?" I said in a calculated voice. I was a Prince, and I knew how to make people see my logic.

Lord Izumi seemed to like my idea and next to him, I saw my Princess relax.

"I will send a spy to take care of the matter. Hopefully Tsubasa would agree to do this." Lord Izumi mused as he got up. Then he patted his daughter's head, gave me a nod, and left the room. To my amazement, my Princess flew into my arms.

"Natsume you're a genius!" she beamed.

"It was the logical thing to do. Even without your visions, a stranger should not be trusted like that." I told her, but she wasn't listening. She was actually jumping around the room, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. In spite of myself I chuckled. She came close to me again.

"Thank you!" she said with a dazzling smile.

"You don't know if its over yet." I said, annoyed that I was the one who had to bring her down to earth.

"Oh but I do! Ever since he came here, the haze of those visions was always there. I have been hearing myself scream for two days straight now, but as soon as father agreed to your idea, all of that stopped. Its gone. That future has been averted." she said joyously. I just stared. Hearing herself scream for two days? And she had still been so composed, so normal, that even I hadn't realized what she had been going through. Without thinking about it, I pulled into my arms and held her tightly.

"Natsume?" she asked me in a muffled voice, and I loosened my hold, but I could not bear to let her go. She peered up at me with those clear brown eyes.

"Please don't wait so long to tell me. I will change any future in which you are harmed." I said earnestly, and she smiled sweetly.

"I will try not to." she said softly and I knew I had to make do with that. Reluctantly I let her go, but she only took two steps away from me before she stopped again, her head cocked to the side.

"Father is the one who has been sending people to check on you and Tsubasa at night. He is worried that the reason I do not wish to marry is because I am having an affair with one of you." she said with an impish smile.

"I see. So why did you not tell me that Tsubasa is your lover?" I teased and she slapped my shoulder.

"Stop saying stupid things. Your stupid stunt when you both sneaked out of the palace would have gotten you beheaded." she said annoyed.

"I thought you only saw the future, not the past." I retorted.

"Father will be discussing this with his advisor in an hour. He is happy now because he realized that i was avoiding marriage because of a vision, not you two. I guess I won't have to run halfway across the city in the cold again." she said haughtily.

"You said you don't share yet you intend to make us share you?" I asked with an evil grin.

She stared at me open mouthed, before,"Natsume! You pervert!" she snapped, with a slight blush, and trying really hard not to laugh.

I gave her an innocent look. "What? You're the one who said "you two". Now don't call me names for drawing the obvious conclusions."

She just collapsed laughing. "You're terrible!" she choked out, as she gasped for breath. I just rolled my eyes. She was just too innocent.

"So why am I sharing you with Natsume?" Tsubasa asked from the door. Mikan just started giggling again.

"Apparently her father thought that we're having an affair with her. So if we had been out that night, we would have lost our heads." I explained.

Tsubasa gave my Princess a serious look. "Why didn't you tell me you were having an affair with Natsume?" he asked, and I smirked, while she stared completely amazed.

"You're about to say the exact same things he did. Perverts both of you! Now out! I want to get some sleep." she said getting up. We left the room grinning. I guess there were times when Tsubasa and I could get along just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do n****ot own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Melyss **

**Foxray**

**Crazy About Coffee**

**yuuki36 **

**Maria-Reynne - don't worry, I don't leave my stories unfinished. Its just not something I can make myself do :) **

**Claerine**

* * *

**Author Note: Well this chapter is sort of unexpected. I started this story without completely knowing what the plot was, and I just kept writing whatever came to my mind. So now, I read Redemption (one of my other stories) and an idea sort of came, and well this chapter just happened. I went back to check and fanatsy has always been a genre for this story, so I guess if I hadn't blabbed, everyone would have thought that I had this in mind all along. **

**But thats the way it is. When i write, I just write, and what I end up writing surprises me as well. *shrug* **

**anyways, my rambling aside, suddenly I think that this story might turn out to be a lot longer than what i was initially thinking. **

**Thanks a LOT for READING and please REVIEW! **

* * *

"Its almost been a year since we found you in the desert." Tsubasa said as he joined me in the practice yard. I grinned, as I twirled my practice scimitars, and he smirked as he took a fighting stance.

The battle ensued. Just because we used dulled weapons did not mean that our fighting was dulled. Once every two days we dueled in the practice yard, and both of us left covered in bruises. We were evenly matched, I was stronger, and he was sneakier; and most of the time we did not use our powers but relied only on skill.

The outcome of this match, was usually the object of a lot of bets among the soldiers, and I knew that quite a few had asked My Princess for help, but she always declined.

His sword hit my ankle, and I knew I would limp for the rest of the match. I focussed completely on my opponent. Three more minutes and I had my opening, and his sword went flying. I grinned evilly as both my scimitars touched his neck. If we were enemies he'd be dead.

I heard groaning from the audience. I guess since I was limping, a lot of people had been betting on him. Served them right.

I took off my shirt and wrung it to get rid of the sweat. The joys of summer. Just then Youichi came running with towels for us. We both took one, with smiles. He was a good hard working kid. I wiped all the sweat away, and scowled at my shirt, before using heat to dry it off.

"Here!" Tsubasa said as he threw water on me.

I blinked the water out of my eyes to glare at him. "What the heck you bas..." I stopped as I saw my Princess out of the corner of my eye. Tsubasa smirked.

"You were wishing for a bath, weren't you?" he asked amused.

I sighed. Tsubasa had a very warped sense of humor. Sad thing was, it usually matched mine. I used the towel to wipe myself off once again and pulled on my shirt, before turning and heading over to my Princess. Behind me, Tsubasa's towel caught fire, and I heard him mumble under his breath. If I couldn't insult him because she was there, he couldn't cuss either.

"You do realize that I knew what you were about to say?" she asked me amused.

"You cannot blame me for what i wanted to do, if I don't do it." I answered.

"Right. Well I have to ask you something. Do you know anything about a fountain with a white statue of a man with black wings, and he is holding onto a woman?" she asked and I paled. There was no reason for her to see it. No one but my family had ever seen that place. She noticed the change in my expression, and turned to leave the courtyard, knowing that I would follow.

She dismissed everyone once we were inside her room, and sat down on the cushions. I started pacing the room.

"What else did you see?" I asked her.

"Nothing else yet. I only saw that place, and I saw your reflection in the water of the fountain. So it could be that you travel there." she explained.

I swore, and she stared at me shocked. I think she finally realized that this was very serious.

"That fountain.. its.." I stopped. To explain this I would have to start from the beginning. I raised my hand, palm up, and conjured up a flame. I closed my eyes, and prayed for answers. The flame took on the shape of a person with wings. The decision was made.

I came and sat in front of my Princess, the flame maintaining its shape on my hand.

"Have you heard the legend of why some people are born with the abilities to manipulate nature? Why people like us are born?" I asked.

"The Gods were giving us a better chance to survive this cruel land." she answered, and I nodded.

"In Tyria, there is more to this story. Once one of the Gods came to our world, and he saw a beautiful woman. He liked her so much that he took her to heaven with him, and they lived happily for a while. But the woman grew restless, for she missed her family. Since the God loved her, they came back so she could spend some time here, but the tribe that she had belonged to were all dead now. They had been attacked by wild animals, and whoever had survived had died of starvation." I stopped for a minute. It was not a good tale to tell, but I had asked for permission. I just hoped that that would be enough.

"The God was moved by the tears of his beloved, so he gave up the purity of one of his wings to give us these powers that we possess." I saw my Princess open her mouth to speak, but I shook my head and she closed it.

"With one black wing and one gold wing, he could still fly to heaven, but he could not take his lover with him. So he stayed on earth with her. But while in heaven she had not aged, on earth she aged like the normal human that she was. The God could not bear this, and so he gave up the purity of his other wing to make her immortal. But now he could never go back to heaven, and yet he was still a God, so he could not live among normal humans. Finally he and his lover decided to stay away from the humans, and live high on snowy mountains, from where they observe the world, but hardly ever interfere." I finished the tale.

"In the thousands of years that have passes since then, only one instance is known for sure when they came to help. That was when the kingdom of Tyria was formed, and that fountain was made in their honor by the first king. It was called the Fountain of White, but the God was displeased on seeing the black wings, and so he laid a curse on that fountain. No one but members of the royal family of Tyria are exempt from the curse, and only because the ruler had decided to name the country after the name of the God's lover, Tyria." I explained.

"What is the curse Natsume?" she asked softly.

"A long life, after you lose every reason to live." I said in an emotionless voice. She flinched.

"You should not be seeing that place in your visions." I said, and the small fire figure in my hand seemed to shake its head. I stilled.

"She is supposed to see the fountain of white?" I asked the small figure and it nodded.

"I shall take her there." I said and the flame vanished, and a small mark of two wings together appeared on my palm. I had been given a task, and to fail would cost me my life.

My Princess stared at me. "The God created that little person." she whispered.

"This tale can only be told with permission. If that flame had just stayed a flame then I would not have told you the story. If ever a time comes when you are to tell this tale to someone, then you shall have a vision telling you to do so. If you don't then do not repeat the story." I told her.

"Then does anyone in Tyria know this story?" she asked.

"These rules only apply to people like us, with some power or the other. If both the story teller and the listeners are normal humans then they can do as they wish as long as the story is told correctly and with proper respect. It is a very common tale in Tyria." I answered.

"So we need to go to Tyria." she said.

"Only if you wish to." I answered.

"Lying to a Seer is stupid. If we don't go, you'll die." she answered and I winced. She was too damn good.

"Very well, then can this seer see my plan and how well it'll work?" I asked, and she smiled.

"Yes. That will work wonderfully. You should go get Tsubasa and the maps." she said and I left to obey.

* * *

Tsubasa stared at us both like we were crazy.

"So let me get this straight. We're going to take a caravan to one of the border cities of Slana, and then I will stay there with the caravan, and cover the fact that the two of you have gone on a trip to a place in Tyria, that is a solid two day trek through the desert from where I would be. Not only can I not come along, but you will also not tell me what is going on, or even the exact place where you're going?" he said caustically.

"That about sums it up." I answered and he glared.

"Will you not trust me?" My Princess asked him, and his scowl deepened.

"I trust you but this is too dangerous. At least let me travel through the desert with you. I will wait at its end for you to return if you do not want me to know your destination." he pleaded, but she shook her head.

"My father, or anyone else cannot find out what I am doing. Nobara-chan will pretend to be me, and you can say that I have sent Natsume on a task somewhere with Nobara-chan. But no one will believe that both you and Natsume would leave me alone in a strange city, no matter how many soldiers I have. You need to be there for my cover to stay intact." she explained. Tsubasa sighed.

"How long will it take you to come back?" he asked.

"A week." she answered.

"Very well. I will go along with this plan of yours." he said to her before turning to me, "If anything happens to her, I will find you and I will kill you." he said coldly.

"If something happens to her, then that would mean that I am already dead." I replied, and he gave me a nod. We understood each other quite well.

Mikan smacked us both. "Stop talking nonsense." she snapped before heading out to talk to her father about her trip. We shared a did-she-think-we-were-actually-serious look, before shrugging and going off to start preparing for the trip ourselves.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Claerine - more mysteries than even i anticipated :)**

**Foxray - thanks **

**Violet spirit - arigatou!**

**kara'mel'-chan - no heart stabbing(review of 2nd ch) lol. thanks for all the reviews :) made me so happy! **

**yuuki36 - haven't though that far actually. Although now that you mentioned it, i think i wil include more of the legend. I like writing it :) **

**Maria-Reynne - nope she can only see the future. no nullification either. **

**natsumikanluverization697 - one thing for sure, they won't die ;) **

**jEzzy mISt-miSSy - interesting. i think i did say it somewhere though. she can't see too far into his future. you'll find out the rest later.. i think. **

**HimselfxHerself - LOL.. you do know the answer by now though :P **

**Yuuto Tamano - nice to meet you too :) **

**MiNsEi - thanks!**

**rAzUx - Gracias :) **

* * *

**Author Note: Humm another chapter out. I hope you guys like it. It took so many tries to get it right *sigh* I was detailing it too much. I still think its too detailed, but where else can i show off the fact that i am from a desert? **

**other than that, i really did try to shorten it by quite a lot. i m not sure i succeeded. Still it felt to me that the details were required to get a feel of what is going on. **

**Thanks for reading and please review! **

* * *

**Roughly One Week Later: **

**Natsume's POV: **

"How long have we been travelling?" My Princess asked in a hoarse voice. I gave her the water skin and she took a drink, before giving it back. I took a few sips before closing it, and hanging it onto the side.

"For seven hours now. I want to make camp at those cliffs," I pointed, "we should be there in an hour."

She nodded before resting her head on my shoulder again. We were both on the same camel, with her sitting side saddle in front of me. She had been sleeping for most of the journey and I was glad for that. It had already taken us a week to get to the border city where we had left Tsubasa and the caravan. We got there yesterday, and my Princess and I had started on our own journey before daybreak this morning. It was going to be noon soon, but hopefully by then, we'll be in the shade of the cliffs. As in most desert traveling, I intended for us to travel in the night and rest in the day.

"There is a caravan at the base of the cliffs already. They're Tyrian merchants." she said softly, before falling asleep again. I tugged the cowl lower on her face. She was not used to travelling continuously for so long in the summer heat. I just hoped that she would feel better after some rest.

* * *

**Two Hours Later: **

"So how long have the two of you been married?" one of the woman asked my Princess. Mikan blushed, and I chuckled. That earned me a glare from her, and made everyone sitting around us burst out laughing.

"Not too long it seems." the woman answered her own question when her mirth subsided. I wrapped an arm around my 'wife' and gave her a nod.

"If its not been too long then why are you travelling to Kush?" another woman asked.

My Princess looked at her confused. Kush was famous for a temple where couples went to pray for children.

"My parents went there for me, and they vowed that I would bring my bride there with me." I answered.

"Oh! I see! Sorry for prying like that." the woman said with a smile.

"Its all right. I am just sorry I could not answer properly. All these Tyrian stories are new to me." Mikan answered.

"That is to be expected. You're from Slana after all." the woman who had asked us how long we had been married said with a kind smile.

Mikan gave her a sweet smile, and I felt myself relax completely. When I had finally reached the cliffs, this group of merchants had already established camp. They were suspicious at first, but once I had explained that I was travelling with my wife to a temple, they had accepted us fairly well. The temple of Kush that I had made our destination was on the way of this caravan and so we would have company till there. Although going to Kush would mean an extra half a day's journey for us, travelling in a caravan would be far safer for my Princess. I was just glad to know that our lie was believed, and my Princess was accepted.

* * *

"Wife huh?" my Princess asked me as we lay on together on our makeshift bed. I had my back to the cliff wall, and she was facing me. Since we were camping in the day, no tents had been set up, but camels had been seated all through the camp to provide some privacy.

"You had a better idea?" I asked, and she chuckled.

"So what does a good Tyrian wife do?" she asked me.

"I don't know. Weren't you listening? I am married to a Slanish woman." I teased. She giggled, before moving her head from the pillow (rolled blanket) to my arm.

"This life is so peaceful." she said softly. I allowed her to snuggle close. Even though it was the desert in the summer, it was cool here in the shadow of the cliffs where the sun never reached.

"Should I tell your father to look for a traveling merchant?" I asked with a straight face. She placed her arm on my waist, and then looked up at me.

"Should my father see this, you won't be in a condition to talk." she said just as calmly. We just stared at each other before bursting out in laughter. I wrapped my other arm around her waist now, and started massaging her back lightly.

"Sleep my princess." I said and she gave me a lovely smile before closing her eyes.

* * *

**2nd Day since Meeting the Merchants: **

"Natsume you should sleep." my Princess said in a voice that brooked no argument. I argued anyways.

"If I sleep, then who will keep a hold of the reins?" I asked her.

"I will." she retorted.

"Which direction are we going?" I asked patiently.

"That way!" she exclaimed, pointing straight ahead. I sighed.

"Princess, I promise that I will rest a soon as the Sun gets hot, rather than waiting for noon, but I cannot allow us to get lost." I said calmly.

"I could argue more, but you won't listen to me." she said grouchily. I did not answer.

We had reached Kush last night with the merchant caravan after traveling all day. They had decided to push through the day and rest at Kush for the night and I had agreed with the plan. At Kush, we had parted ways. First I had taken my Princess to see the temple of Kush, since she was very curious by now.

Then I had left her to rest at an inn, and gotten us some supplies. We had rested till around midnight before starting on our journey again. Luckily, the entire trail between Kush and the Fountain of White was at the edge of the desert, through cliffs. So though it was easy to get lost, at least we were traveling in the shade.

Since I was on no sleep, she was getting worried about me, but I knew I would be okay. I had been through much worse, but then again, I did not want to tell her that.

"Natsume, the Sun is hot now." she pointed out quietly after a few hours. I nodded, and we made camp. As soon as we had eaten, she was standing over me, glaring. I chuckled.

"Yes yes! I am going to sleep now." I said trying to placate her.

She just shook her head before sitting down next to me. Then she yanked me down, until my head rested on her lap. I turned so I was lying on my back, and then stretched out my legs. She was looking at me, her hands lightly caressing my face.

"Rely on me sometimes too." she said softly. I smiled slightly.

"I do. Far more than you know." I answered.

"Lying to a seer." she said with a 'tsk' sound.

"A seer can't read my mind." I said closing my eyes. I had no idea when I fell asleep, just like I had no idea if the feel of her lips on my forehead was a foolish dream, or a cruel reality.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Kura Kasshoku Koneko **

**kara'mel'-chan**

**Yuuto Tamano **

**Crystal Rose**

**yuuki36 **

**Foxray**

* * *

**Author Note: Thanks a lot for telling me that my details are fine :) I had a good time writing this chapter. I have a surprise in this chapter :) Lets see if anyone expected that. Thanks a lot for reading my story and please please review! **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

I jerked awake, and immediately felt warm hands touch my shoulders. I was.. I was lying mostly on my side, facing my Princess, and my arms were wrapped around her waist. I made myself loosen my grip and sat up. She was staring at me, looking worried.

"It was just a bad dream." I explained, and to my surprise, she leaned forward and hugged me tightly. After a moment of shock, my arms went around her, and I held her as tightly as I could. Yet even that could not wipe that image from my mind, an image of her, stumbling through the desert, alone.

Her arms were around my neck, and now she slipped her hands into my hair, moving them in slow circles, trying to soothe me. I rested my forehead on her shoulder, letting her presence calm me.

"What was so bad, Natsume?" she asked softly.

"I do not see the future, so it doesn't matter Princess. Let me just stay like this for a while." I whispered.

She did not reply, but her hands kept trying to soothe me. After a few minutes I straightened. When had this seer become so important to me? I wondered. I had thought I was protecting her because I had vowed to, but somewhere along the way, I had started protecting her because I wanted her to be safe.

I gave her a small smile. "I will be fine now."

Her hands came forward to cup my face. "I wish I could see your future, Natsume, then I would tell you that everything is going to be alright."

I shook my head. "You can see far enough into my future. A few weeks warning is good enough for me. I don't need more than that." I told her. Then I gently removed her hands from me, and stood up.

"We should get going now." I said and she gave me a small nod.

* * *

I had slept till late afternoon, while my Princess had stayed awake that entire time, watching over me. So now, she slept against me, while we traveled, her beautiful face shrouded by the cowl that I had pulled low.

It was nearly sunset when we reached our destination. I shook my Princess awake.

"We're here." I told her and she looked around excitedly, but then her face fell.

"This is just another cliff!" she cried out.

"No Princess. This is the highest cliff in all of Tyria. The Fountain of white is at the top." I explained, getting off the camel.

She jumped off too, and then craned her neck to look at the top. "We have to climb that high?"

"Its not smart to make a cursed fountain accessible to people." I said with a shrug. Then I burst out laughing at her horrified look.

"Don't worry so much. There is a path to get up there. Its a pretty hard one, but its better than rock climbing." I said grinning.

She glared at me, making me chuckle even more. I showed her where the path started, and we started walking up. She was walking ahead of me, while I held the reins of our camel, as it climbed behind me. The path was steep, and treacherous in the fading light, but something told me that we needed to get up there as soon as possible.

It took us two truly nerve wracking ours to get up half of that cliff face. Then we were on a rocky platform that had been carved into the rock, and from here wide steps were leading to the Fountain of White. I tied the camel on a jutting rock on the wall, and after a short rest the two of us started for the top.

"Just how high is this cliff?" she asked me after an hour of climbing stairs.

"I think we will get there at dawn." I answered.

"How many times have you been here?" she asked me curiously.

"Just once, for my initiation ceremony as a warrior." I replied, and she nodded.

After that we kept walking in silence, until she stumbled. Ignoring her protests, I threw her over my shoulder and carried her the rest of the way. Since her feet were in front, she did not see the Fountain of White until I had set her down and she had turned around.

I heard her gasp, before she fell to her knees in awe. This place did get such reactions, especially the first time.

In front of us, the Fountain of White rose majestically. It was at least a two hundred feet high, and a hundred feet in diameter. The sun was rising behind it, coloring everything in the beautiful shades of gold, pink and purple. The entire top of the cliff was a beautiful garden, with flowers growing everywhere. Dew glittered on the grass, and the falling water formed exquisite rainbows in the air. Yet it was eerily silent, except for the whispering of the wind.

The Fountain of White made no sound, even though the water fell from such heights, and nothing but the plants lived here. I watched it with the same awe that I had the first time. No matter how much anyone told you, its beauty and silence needed to be experienced to be understood.

I felt my Princess slide her hand into mine, and we stood side by side, watching the sun rise over a place that looked like it had truly been blessed by the Gods. A beautiful garden growing on a rock, on the edge of a desert.

"You look like you've fallen in love..." said a quiet voice from the side and we both jumped before turning as one to see a woman standing there.

"...with the fountain." she finished the sentence, while we just stared.

She gave us an amused glance, before sitting down on a chair that I was sure hadn't been there a moment ago. She motioned to the other chairs.

"Why don't you both take a seat? You must be tired." she said calmly. In a daze we obeyed.

"So who are you?" she asked in a friendly voice.

"This is Natsume, and I am Mikan, his wife." My Princess answered casually. The woman smiled.

"Thats good. Since you're his wife, the curse of the fountain won't affect you." she said as if stating a fact. I felt my heart still.

"Who're you?" I asked her, already guessing the answer.

"One of my names is Tyria, but I prefer Hotaru." she said, her violet eyes laughing.

"So Hotaru-chan, why're you here?" Mikan asked without missing a beat.

"I am doing this for my husband you see. He wanted to come himself, but well.. he would have gotten carried away, and so here I am. I need to tell you both a few things. Oh and I almost forgot.." she flicked her wrist, and my palm stung. I turned it to see that the winged mark was gone.

"All right then, I have some facts to tell you, and some explanations or examples for them. Don't interrupt me." she said in a businesslike tone.

"One" she raised her first finger.

"Aoi Hyuuga's father and brothers (except Natsume) knew what was going on, but they let it go because it was a political marriage that they needed."

"Two. Natsume Hyuuga went berserk when she died and killed his brother in law. That ruined the plan of his family, and so he was exiled on a fake charge based on the lies of a fake seer."

"Three. Natsume is one of those rare people who are free to make their own destiny. He can change the future."

"Four. Mikan Sakura was meant to die horribly at the hands of Reo Mouri, but because Natsume changed her future, she is now alive and Reo died at the hands of Tsubasa Andou."

"Five. I am tired of this so I am leaving now. Have a safe trip back, and do visit again." she said in the same dead pan voice, without pausing, while our jaws dropped.

She started walking away, before pausing. "Six. Aoi Hyuuga's soul is with my husband, and she will be reborn when he chooses. Her next life will be a long and happy one." She vanished after saying that, even as we watched.

"That was.." My Princess started, but now a man appeared in front of us. He was blonde with blue eyes.

"Oh.. My wife already left. Nice to meet you Mikan and Natsume. I'm Ruka." he said distractedly. "Mikan, don't worry about the curse of the fountain. Since you claimed to be Natsume's wife, you'll be fine." he sighed. "I totally forgot what I was going to say, so instead I'll send you on your way now, otherwise you won't be able to keep your promise of returning in a week." he said before waving his hand in a offhanded gesture.

Immediately everything started going dark, and I knew I was losing consciousness.

"Reality is cruel, but only if you allow it to be." someone whispered to me, just as the world went black.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**yuuki36 **

**natsumikanluverization697**

**Yuuto Tamano **

**Claerine**

**Viola Cain**

**Yuri no Kimi**

**Maria-Reynne**

* * *

**Author Note: Okay so it seems I really messed up the last chapter coz everyone is confused now, or interpreting things in ways I did not mean. I tried explaining stuff in this chapter, but just to be sure: **

**1. Ruka and Hotaru are the God and his human lover mentioned in the legend. **

**2. Ruka put a curse on the Fountain of White, so anyone who sees it, will live a long but horrible life. Only the royal family of Tyria is exempt from the curse. Thats why Natsume has been to the Fountain before. If Mikan becomes his wife, then she is a part of the royal family too, and so she won't be cursed. Even though it was a lie, Ruka and Hotaru acted as if it was true, and did not let her get cursed. **

**3. The fake seer did lie about Natsume's future. Mikan can't see his future. So now, no one knows what gonna happen in his future. He might becoming king, or he might not. **

**4. Natsume was betrayed by his family. :( I really thought i made that one clear. **

**5. oh and Mikan never saw Natsume becoming king. She just had a hypothesis about the other seer's prediction, thats all.**

**I really though that I was explaining quite a few things with the last chapter, but I seem to have just messed it up. Gomenasai! **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

I woke up to find myself in some kind of tiny cave. I started to sit when I realized that my Princess was lying on top of me, still unconscious. I wrapped my arms around her, cradling her, before sitting up.

My first guess had been right. We were in a tiny cave, and the entrance was blocked by a blanket nailed into the rock. Our camel sat next to it, and I was sure all our supplies were here as well. For all intents and purposes it looked like a camp I had made to take shelter from a sandstorm, and from the sounds I could hear, there really was a sandstorm raging outside.

I collapsed back on the blankets and closed my eyes. There was nothing to do until the storm stopped.

"Natsume?" My princess asked me in a sleepy voice.

I turned, and now she was lying sideways on the blankets now, facing me. She blinked owlishly, before her eyes focussed on me.

"Whats going on?" she asked.

"We're in a cave taking shelter from a sandstorm. Of course we never made this camp, and I have no idea where we are, but if we're to believe the words of that God Ruka, then we must be somewhere along the way back to Slana." I answered somewhat crankily.

"I see." Then she concentrated for a moment, before smiling brightly. "We're at the cliff where we met those merchants."

"And you know this why?" I asked amused.

"Because you will recognize this place as soon as we leave the cave." she said with a grin. _Seers. _

"So can you also tell me how much longer this sandstorm is going to be going on for?" I asked.

"Don't feel like it." she said cheekily, before sitting up, and looking around the cave.

"He sure picked a tiny cave." she observed.

"A tiny cave is the best during a sandstorm. That way there are less places for the wind to enter from." I explained.

"I see." she said before getting up. "You should sleep. I'll wake you up when the sandstorm is over."

I closed my eyes and followed her advice. It was still around 8 hours of camel riding from this place to our caravan, and I knew I would not stop in the middle of that.

* * *

**Four Hours later: **

"So what did you think of them?" I asked my Princess around an hour after we set out from the cliffs towards the border city and Tsubasa.

"The God Ruka and his Immortal wife Hotaru?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I dunno. They seemed nice, and all too friendly for people who have been living by themselves for thousands of years." she answered.

"Yes. I am not that surprised though. They did help build the kingdom of Tyria, so they must be able to get along with humans at least a little." I said.

"Maybe, or maybe they're just bored." My princess wondered and I grinned. It was indeed something only she could come up with, and yet it was also a completely plausible explanation.

"Who knows. I am just glad that they decided to exempt you from the curse of the Fountain of White, because as my wife you're also a member of the Royal family of Tyria." I said, and she scowled.

"But they knew I was lying, and so even though the royal family is exempt from the curse, i am not really a part of it." she pointed out.

"They called you there, so I think they chose not to curse you. Since they both said you were not cursed, I am just glad for that, rather than worrying about the details." I answered and she chuckled, laying her head on my shoulder.

"You worry about me too much." she said softly. I did not answer. So many things between us did not require words anymore. She closed her eyes, and I knew she would be sleeping the rest of the way. I did not mind, because I got to see her beautiful face illuminated in the moonlight.

* * *

**A few Hours later: **

"Thanks heavens! I was so worried that you would not make it back on time." Tsubasa exclaimed before we were even off the camel.

I jumped down from the camel. My Princess did the same.

"So my father is coming here tomorrow." she said in a speculative voice. I stared, and so did Tsubasa.

"I am a seer. I can see the future. How can that still surprise you two?" she snapped.

I shrugged, and Tsubasa, had an 'oops' expression. She just shook her head before she exchanging cloaks with Nobara-chan. After that all of us headed inside the inn. Since it was around 4 in the morning, everyone was asleep, except for a few guards. Because of the cloak and veils they all believed that Tsubasa and my Princess were bringing in Nobara-chan and I. It was amusing how well our little deception had worked.

"Its going to be fine. As far as my father can find out, I was here with the caravan and Tsubasa while Natsume and Nobara-chan went on a trip because I asked them to. You two went to the city of Kush, to get some special medicine, that we will need in the future." she said calmly.

"What if he wishes to see this 'special medicine'? I asked.

To my surprise, she pulled out a pouch. "Its in here. Did you really think that all I did at that inn in Kush was sleep?" my Princess asked me, and I chuckled.

"You're amazing." I told her, and she beamed.

"Anyhow, out all of you. I need a long bath, and what not, to seem as if I have been sitting here at a hot springs inn doing nothing for a week, rather than look like I was trekking through the desert." she said shooing us out. Tsubasa and I left, while Nobara chan stayed to help, and also to tell her everything that had happened in the week.

"Trekking through the desert, she said. What did you have a camel for you baka?" Tsubasa asked me as we walked to my room.

"She did not walk. At all. Believe me, I carried her for hours up all those damned stairs too." I retorted, then realized my mistake. Maybe I was lucky, and Tsubasa would not know anything about this.

We had reached the public bath at the inn, but instead of leaving me, Tsubasa entered as well.

"I think I will take advantage of the fact that it is empty." he said calmly, but I knew that he wanted to talk to me privately.

_Oh whatever. _I though stripping. No matter what he had to say, it would be better to listen to him while soaking in hot water rather anywhere else. I was truly glad that the place we had our left our caravan at, was famous for hot springs. It also gave credibility to my Princess's wish of visiting the city, even though it was the middle of summer.

"So you went to the Fountain of White." Tsubasa said calmly, after we had been soaking in the water for around 10 minutes.

I raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged.

"I am half Tyrian. I know all the stories." he explained.

"Then you also know that the Fountain of White is cursed. No one should see it." I answered.

"But the royal family is exempt from that curse, and if you had not found a way to protect Mikan-sama from it, you would not be sitting here so calmly." he said coolly.

I sighed. "How did you find out?"

"I overheard yours and Mikan-sama's conversation when she vowed to never betray you, Prince Natsume." he replied.

"Why stay silent till now?" I asked curiously.

"I trust her judgement." he said simply, and I smiled. I wondered if my Princess had any idea how absolutely loyal he was to her. Knowing her, there was no way that she did not know.

"We ran into them." I said quietly. "The God with black wings, and his human wife."

Tsubasa turned to stare at me, and I shrugged.

"Why would they meet you?" he asked.

"Like I know. All I do know is that my life is going to be highly interesting." I answered and he nodded.

"Good thing that. At least we won't be suffering from anything as mundane as boredom." Tsubasa said and I grinned. It was good to have comrades, even if they got on your nerves most of the time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**virginger - thanks :) **

**Claerine - yup, if Tsubasa sees the fountain he'll get cursed. **

**Foxray - lol **

**Yuuto Tamano - things get out of hand when i put in action.. so i cheat to avoid it.. gomen!**

**Lily-whitePrincess - thanks :) they're in their twenties. I'll see if i can put in a few fights, but no promises on that. **

**natsumikanluverization697 - thanks!**

**Maria-Reynne - aww thanks :) I am glad things are making sense again!**

**annereecelle - thanks! **

**Love Crazed Moron - gomen-ne! i'll try not to be so sudden in the future. **

**yuuki36 - you're very welcome! **

**Chin-92 - you're back! Yay! **

**my-silver-lining - aww thank you! **

**natsumeslover - thats okay! at least you finally got it :) **

**MiNsEi - arigatou!**

**Ulqyfangirl27 - almost huh? Gimme sometime then and maybe it'll be better then :) **

* * *

**Author Note: So I am sorry that this update took a while. I was seriously considering deleting the last two chapters and rewriting them. But in the end I decided to keep them. So I had a huge issue with where to go with the story, and so I fell back onto something that would be a part of the story no matter what ;) **

**I hope you guys like it! **

**Thanks a lot for reading and please do review! **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

"So you sent Natsume and Nobara to Kush, in Tyria, to get a medicine." Lord Izumi asked his daughter dubiously.

Mikan nodded, and he stood up.

"Very well. I'll take your story to be the official one, but next time be more careful when you go into another country." Lord Izumi said calmly. "I have business in a city near here, and so I am leaving again soon. We will start back for the capital as soon as I get back. Is that okay?" he asked Mikan and she nodded again. Lord Izumi swept out of the room and my Princess let out a huge sigh of relief.

"That went well." I commented and she chuckled.

"Father always knows what I've been upto. Its just a game to see if my excuse is good enough for him to let me get away with it." she answered flopping back on the cushions. Then she suddenly sat back up.

"Natsume! We have to do that again!" she exclaimed.

"Do what?" I asked startled.

"Go to the market dressed like commoners." she said happily. I sighed.

"Yes Princess, we'll do that, but shouldn't you sleep first? You were up most of last night." I said calmly, and she frowned.

"You're no fun. I can sleep tonight. Father will be back here day after tomorrow and then we'll be going back to the capital." she said before jumping up. "Go get ready, Natsume."

I nodded before leaving. It was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

"So where do you want to go first?" I asked Mikan.

"I am not sure. Lets just walk around for a while and see if we can find something interesting." she said and I agreed.

After walking around for nearly an hour, she found a pair of earrings that she really liked. It was interesting to see the shopkeeper's expression when she paid while I just stood by. It took me a lot of effort to not smirk.

"What're you grinning about?" she asked me as we left the store, and I shook my head. She was so oblivious sometimes.

"Natsume, lets go try some street food now." she said happily and I nodded.

After the food she dragged me into a clothing store. I tried not to sigh as she went through fabric after fabric. Then finally she decided on something and the salesperson asked her to try it. Mikan took of her veil to wrap the cloth around her as a scarf, and I saw the seller move back from her. I scowled as i realized that this was a reaction to her scar. Thank God Mikan had not noticed it.

"How does it look on me?" she asked me brightly.

I forced a smile. "Good." I answered and she nodded happily.

She pulled it off her and handed it to them to have it packed and wandered off to browse more shelves. The owner gave me a sympathetic look. "You okay with your woman scarred like that?" he asked me, and I glared at him, making him shut up immediately.

Mikan came back to me, hr veil was back in place, and her packed cloth was already in her hand. I took it from her, paid the owner and we left the store. I was hoping that she had not heard the man.

"I should have known better than to take my veil off." she said conversationally and I felt my temper rise.

"He was an idiot." I said coldly.

"And the scar is ug.." she started but I placed my hand on her mouth.

"Nothing about you is ugly. Everything that is you is beautiful, and don't you dare forget that." I told her, my emotions bleeding into my voice.

I saw her eyes widen, before they filled with tears. I removed my hand, afraid that I had scared her, and pulled us both into a side alley. She looked up a me, her soulful eyes shining behind a veneer of tears. I cupped her face very gently.

"I am sorry I scared you." I said softly and she shook her head vehemently.

"Not scared, just surprised. Its not very often that I get so surprised." she said trying and failing to chuckle.

Without thinking I pulled the veil off her face, and she flinched, but did not stop me. I stroked the scar that ran from her temple to her chin, the same way I had on that night when I had sworn loyalty to her.

"You're more beautiful than you can ever imagine." I said quietly, before bending down and lightly kissing the path that my fingers had traced. I heard her breath catch, but again she did not stop me. I laid my forehead against hers, afraid that if she allowed me to go unchecked, I might do something that she would regret later.

To my surprise, she lightly kissed my cheek.

"You're really kind Natsume." she said and I shook my head, but this time she placed a hand on my mouth.

I was smirking when she removed it.

"Payback, eh Princess?" I asked and she grinned. It was still somewhat forced but it was much better than her sad expression.

But then to my surprise she laid her head on my shoulder, her whole body leaning into me. "Please let me stay like this for a little while. I'll be better soon. I promise." she whispered. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

I don't know how long we stood there like that, but for the first time in my life I was completely at peace, as if I had finally come home after a very long journey. I don't know how she felt, or if she felt anything at all, but if I were to judge her expression, these feelings were not just mine. Maybe I was biased about that but one thing was for certain, something truly fundamental had just changed between us.

* * *

Our return to the Capital was very uneventful. There was only one thing that bothered me that entire time. Mikan was unusually quiet, so much so, that eve Lord Izumi had taken notice, but it wasn't like even he could do anything. We arrived at the palace in a week, and for the next two days, my Princess was silent again.

When I could stand it no more, I went to her room.

"I'd like to have a private word with you." I said coldly. She gazed at me, and then gave a small nod. All the maids left the room.

She waited patiently for me to start speaking.

"What has been bothering you?" I asked without preamble.

"Are you sure something is bothering me?" she retorted.

"You have secluded yourself since we started back. Why?" my voice was calm, collected, unlike me.

"I do not know what you are talking about." she answered quietly.

"Mikan Sakura are you trying to deceive me?" I asked my voice frigid and she flinched.

"Natsume I.. " she stopped, her eyes wide, her pulse visible in her throat. I took a deep breath and prayed for patience, before sitting in front of her and taking her hands in mine.

"Talk to me Mikan. Please." I said earnestly.

"Will you promise me something?" she asked, her eyes pleading with me, and I nodded.

"Will you promise me that you will not hate me after hearing what I have to say?" she asked, and I stared._ 'Hate her?' There was no way I could ever hate her._

"I promise." I said instead of pointing out that her request had been completely unnecessary. She nodded, before taking her hands away from me and clasping them in her lap.

"I fell in love with you." she said staring at her hands. I gaped.

"I know... i understand what you told me. That you do not want any emotional attachment to anyone, least of all me, and that is why I did not wish to let you know. Now that you do know, can you please pretend that this conversation never happened? I beg of you, please just give me some time to come to terms with myself Natsume." she was whispering at the end, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Before I could stop myself, I kissed the tear away. "Tears do not suit you Princess." I told her and she stared at me, her wide eyes filled with questions and a fragile hope.

I took her hands in mine again. "I... I do have a lot to say about what you just said, not the least of which is how could you ever think that I can hate you? But one thing that you really need to know is that I do care for you. I know I said that I did not want any emotional attachment, and I didn't, but that does not mean that I don't value you more than anything else in the world. You're the most precious thing to me, and so I.. " I stopped._ What was I going to say? Profess my undying love? _I was a common guard and she was a noble.

I smiled at her, and I knew it was wistful. "I can never hate you, and you will always be precious to me." I said softly.

"You really were raised to be a politician." she said, completely breaking the tension and we both chuckled.

"It took a lot to beat diplomacy into me." I answered, making her chuckle again.

She rested her forehead against mine. "You truly do not hate me?"

"I could never hate you." I answered and she nodded.

"Then that is good enough for me." she said with one of her lovely smiles. I smiled back, because now I finally understood what that weird God had been trying to tell me before he had made me fall unconscious at the Fountain of White. Reality could only be cruel if I allowed it to be.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**Maria-Reynne - lol agreed :) **

**fatecrusaderZ18 - thanks **

**Yuri no Kimi - Mikan is the daughter of the prime minister. natsume just calls her 'princess' coz he wants to. **

**muzikchic4eva - thanks for all the reviews **

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**yuuki36 - this kinda fulfills your wish**

**annereecelle - i m sorry i have no idea how many chapters there will be. your other questions are answered in this chapter :)**

**Sparkles585 - i'm a bit confused, but if i m getting your question right, then the answer is, no, the story is not finished yet. **

**IllutiaDark - thanks a lot!**

**Yuuto Tamano - thanks :) n actually i hadn't thought about it. I'll see what i can do. **

**Harukichi-chan - thank you :) don't worry I have never left a story unfinished. not something I would do if I could help it. **

**Claerine - this chapter answers your question. **

**Chin-92 - and that review again shows why u r one of my reviewers who has helped me improve a LOT! hope u like this one more :) **

* * *

**Author Note: Okay I don't have much to say except, **

**advance HAPPY NEW YEAR! and may this new year bring you the freedom to be yourself :) **

**and thanks a lot for reading! **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

After I left my Princess's room, I kept getting weird looks from everyone around the palace. Whatever.

It was around dusk that I saw Tsubasa and he stared at me, like I had grown horns or something.

"What?" I asked crankily.

"You're smiling." he told me and I realized that I had been smiling. I had been smiling ever since she had confessed to me.

"Its creepy." Tsubasa said with a smirk, and his scarf caught fire. He patted it out, but instead of getting annoyed or cursing like usual, he was chuckling.

"Whatever happened to make you so happy?" he asked, sitting down next to me. We were both sitting at the edge of the practice yard now. I shrugged and he rolled his eyes.

"That is so lame. At least learn to lie." he said and this time I chuckled.

"I was excellent at deception, until I met her. Damn, you have no idea how much her honesty has rubbed off on me." I said and he grinned.

"So thats what got you looking so creepy all day.. You've fallen for her." Tsubasa said coolly and I turned to gape at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were smart man, not an oblivious one."

I sighed as I turned back towards the yard, where Mochu was teaching Youichi the basics of fighting.

"I am a common soldier now. Would even you approve of me and her?" I asked him.

"If I had not seen you both together, then I would not approve, but I have, and no matter what, you'd always keep her happy." Tsubasa said surprising me. "Look, Natsume, Mikan-sama is an only child, and whoever marries her, will also inherit all of Izumi-sama's fortune. So you should not really be worried about the difference in your current social status. What you should be worrying about is if you can forget all about Tyria and settle here?" he asked, and I remained silent.

He was right. That was what I should be thinking about. If the nobles here found out who I was, I would be accepted with open arms. I might be young, but I had been the commander of the Tyrian army, and no one would ever let go a chance to have me as an ally. I could give my Princess the sort of life she deserved.

I could even go back to Tyria, start a civil war, and become king. I knew I would win. I was stronger than my brothers, and the army would come to my side the minute I asked them. I could make her a queen, yet I knew I would never destroy Tyria just for my gain.

I closed my eyes. What I should be worrying about was where I wanted to live, and as what?

Then it occurred to me. I was so dumb for overlooking it this entire time and and allowing this to become so complicated. The answer was simple and right in front of my eyes.

I glanced at Tsubasa and I could tell from his smirk that he had could read my expression just fine. In fact he had been leading me to this realization the entire time.

"Took you long enough."' he said with a grin, and I shook my head in amazement. How could I have not seen something so obvious. No matter where I lived, or what I became, I could not see my life without her. It didn't matter what the future held in store, because the one thing that would not change was that we would be together. I was such an idiot.

"Right. I am going to talk to her." I said jumping up, but he was already shaking his head.

"While you were off in your own world, she left to see the king at the main palace with Lord Izumi. She will not be returning tonight." he told me and I swore.

"Why could you not have then waited until tomorrow to make me realize this?" I snapped and he laughed.

"Watching you twist in impatience sounds excellent to me." he said as he stood up. "Lets have a match. Might help you relax a bit." he said cheerily, and I jumped to my feet. Someday, I might actually understand this moron, but I did not think that such a day would ever come.

* * *

It was around midnight when I collapsed on my bed. I had sparred nonstop for around five hours, first with Tsubasa and then with any soldier who was up to the challenge. Then after a quick bath, I had crashed on my bed, hoping to get some sleep. Though it would seem that even that was not enough to curb the excitement of my realization.

I wanted to tell her as soon as I possibly could. I closed my eyes and made myself relax. I needed some sleep if I was to to do this properly tomorrow.

* * *

**2 Hours later: **

**Mikan's POV:**

I had hurried back to my palace as soon as I could through the tunnels. I was still amazed at what I had seen happening tomorrow morning, and now I could not wait to confirm it. I was panting by the time I reached Natsume's room, but then took the time to compose myself before entering through the cupboard.

He was asleep as far as I could tell, the sheets twisted around him. I sneaked closer to get a look. Yeah, he was sound asleep, or he would have grabbed me by now. I don't know how many times he says he has nearly killed me for sneaking up on him. All foolishness. There is no way he can ever hurt me.

I leaned in. I had heard about this, and now I wanted to try it.

To my annoyance, he raised his hand and covered my mouth, stopping me.

"Do you know what you're doing Princess?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

"Since I haven't kissed anyone before, not really." I retorted, my voice muffled by his hand. In spite of my premonition, I thought he would have been angry at me, or at least annoyed. Instead, he moved his hand to the back of my neck, and opened his eyes.

"First time should be a good memory." he told me, before pulling me down and kissing me. I was too surprised to react, and then I was too caught up to do anything, except move closer to him. When we finally parted, I was almost on top of him, my palms flat on his chest. I blushed and Natsume chuckled, but when I tried to scramble off him, he wouldn't let me. Instead he held me where I was, and sat up, effectively setting me in his lap.

"Getting ahead of yourself, aren't you?" I asked amused, and trying to hide my blush.

To my surprise, instead of fighting back, he just held me close, his chin resting on my head.

"I fell in love with you Princess." he said softly, and I smiled, even as tears filled my eyes. I was too choked to say anything, and so I just hugged him back. I knew he would understand.

In that moment, that one moment of perfection I saw it. It was just a fleeting image, and I could not tell any of the details, but the most important thing was loud and clear. I felt tears slip down my cheeks, and I saw Natsume move back, concern on his face, but for a moment more, even for an instant more, I wanted to see that image.

Natsume held my face in both his hands, his expression worried, but I smiled through the tears.

"I saw.." and then i chuckled as I ran my hands through his hair, "you look good even with white hair."

He just stared, and then he hugged me tightly.

"You saw us?" he asked, and I could feel his happiness.

I snuggled close. "Yeah. We both looked so old, but we were together, and you were laughing."

"I was laughing?" he asked surprised.

"Yup!" I told him, and to my amazement, he dropped kisses all over my face.

"I should not be doing this." he said as he lightly caressed my hair after a moment. I looked at him blankly and he chuckled.

"You're so innocent. Princess, your honor means a lot to me, and so we won't be doing this again, until you're my wife." he told me.

"You haven't even proposed yet." I exclaimed and he just stared at me, before shaking his head in silent amazement.

"I love you, and that means I wish to marry you. But I will only propose to you when I think that I am worthy of you. Until then, I am just your warrior." he said quietly.

"You will not leave me behind to prove yourself will you?" I asked him, and he shook his head.

"If I ever leave without you, then it'll be after you agree to let me go. I will never leave without letting you know." he vowed and I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You'll never have a harem." I told him.

"Yes, you don't share. Neither do I though, so I guess it all works out." he answered.

For a long while after that, we just stayed together, talking about random things and enjoying each other's presence, but then I realized that the Sun was coming up.

"I have to go back to the palace!" I exclaimed, jumping out of his arms.

"You have enough time." he said as he got up and opened the door to his cupboard.

I rushed towards it, but then came to a stop. "After I leave, we'll go back to being warrior and lady?" I asked him, and he nodded solemnly.

"All right, but I am looking forward to when I will be your wife." I told him with an impish grin, before kissing his cheek, and then rushing through the tunnel.

* * *

**Normal POV: **

Natsume touched his cheek where she had kissed him and smiled to himself. "So am I Princess, so am I." he murmured before turning to watch the sun rise over a world that had changed completely for him overnight.


	15. Chapter 15

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**Author Note: Okay so I am worried that this chapter will confuse people. If you have any questions, just ask, or even any suggestions on how to make it less confusing. I am game for that. totally. **

**On the other hand, hopefully I have not messed up, and hopefully its not all that confusing. **

**Cheers! and Happy New Year Everyone! **

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**Natsume's POV: **

I stood silently, watching with narrowed eyes as Lord Izumi tried to convince my Princess to meet suitors. Apparently, that was also why the king had called them last night, to introduce her to some prince. She had refused, but now her father was determined that she at least meet suitors. And I stood there, annoyed as all hell, but unable to do anything because of my own decision.

I saw Mikan cock her head to the side, and then suddenly she was smirking.

"So father, all I have to do is meet with them once? I am not expected to say yes, am I?" she asked, and he nodded though he looked uneasy at her sudden shift in attitude.

"Fine. I will meet with them then." she said as she stood up and swept out of the meeting room without a backward glance. I followed, frustration flowing through my veins, even if none of it showed on my face.

* * *

**Three Days Later:**

There was no end to my restlessness or my temper. Even though all my Princess did was refuse all the suitors after talking to them for a few minutes, it still grated on my nerves. So much so, that it was Tsubasa who stood behind her as her warrior in the meetings instead of me.

But truthfully that was not the main thing that was making me restless. It was the dream that I had had two nights ago. Even though it had been two days since, it was so clear in my head as if it had really happened, and as if I had really been there.

* * *

_**Natsume's Dream:**_

_**Normal POV: **_

_It was a small tavern and there was snow blowing outside the window._

_"Kisha stop crying!" her mother scolded._

_"Here! Let me take care of her for you." a man said to the woman before picking up the little girl. The woman gave him a grateful smile. She seemed to know him, maybe he was a regular at the small tavern she ran by herself._

_He sat down on a bench in the corner with the little girl in his lap._

_"Will you stop crying if I tell you a story?" he asked the child and she nodded. The man gave her a smile._

_"A long long time ago, the God of Wind came to earth from Heaven." the man started._

_"Why?" asked the little girl and the man chuckled._

_"Because he was bored." the man explained and the child nodded._

_"So now the God of Wind, one of the strongest Gods, came to live among humans. Most of the Gods thought that this was foolish, but the God of Wind's older brother, the God of Fire, told him that earth was a good place. Since he came to earth thinking it was a good place, he met good people and made many friends. After many years of living with humans, he went back to heaven. His brother welcomed him back, and was proud of him." the man said in a assured voice, and by now the entire tavern was listening to him._

_"What happened next?" the little girl asked, her tears forgotten._

_"The God of Wind got tired of heaven again really soon, and so he came back to earth, to spend time with his human friends. That was when he met a human girl and fell in love with her. So this time when he went back to heaven, he took her with him." the man said and the child beamed._

_"So they lived happily ever after?" she asked and the man shook his head._

_"No. The King of Heaven became angry at the God of Wind, and so he told him that he would not allow a human to stay in heaven. The God of Wind left heaven with his wife, and they came back to earth. But here a tragedy had happened and all of the girl's tribe and all of the God's friends had been killed. The God was furious, and so in his anger, he turned his gold wings black, and gave that strength to the humans so that they would have extra powers to survive in this world." the man said quietly._

_"So he could not fly anymore?" the girl asked horror struck._

_"He could still fly, he just could not enter heaven with his tainted wings." the man said with a small smile._

_"Now he made a castle on top of a snowy mountain for his wife, and they lived there happily for many years. But his wife was only human, and she started getting old. The God of Wind was terrified that she would die, and so he decided to go to heaven and ask the King of Heaven to save her. Of course the King refused. He made the God of Wind beg, but he still refused." the man said wryly._

_"The God of Wind came back, defeated. But his brother had not been in Heaven when he had gone there, and so when he heard about it, the God of Fire was furious. How dare the King insult his brother! Angry as anything, he stormed into the palace and almost dueled the king. Since the King of Heaven knew that the God of Fire was the strongest god, instead of fighting him, he gave him a proposal. If the God of Wind had pure gold wings, then he would be allowed into heaven again." the man's tone had become wistful._

_"The God of Fire was married you see. His wife was one of the Goddesses of Fate. So now together they came to earth, and before his brother could understand what was going on, they had pinned him down, and they ripped his wings off. Then the God of Fire ripped out his own wings, and placed them on his brother, and he took the tainted black wings as his own. But that was not enough for them. Next they took the human woman that the God of Wind loved, and the Goddess of Fate now ripped out her wings and placed them on the human, turning her into a goddess. The Goddess of Invention." the man said calmly, though his hand was clenched into a fist._

_"Now the God of Wind and his wife , who was now also a Goddess, were free to go to heaven, but the God of Fire and his wife were banished for eternity. Yet they were happy, because they were together." the man said but the girl was giving him a strange look._

_"There's more." she said and the man chuckled._

_"Yes, but are you sure you want to hear it?" the man asked and the girl nodded._

_"All right then. After living together for a long time, they were still happy. The Goddess of Fate did not have wings but she was still a goddess and was thus immortal, and the God of Fire might have black wings, but he was still the strongest God there was. But somehow, for some reason, they decided to be born as humans, and to live among the humans many different lives. The only one thing that would be certain in each life was that they would look the same, have the same names, and they would always end up together. Other than that, they could be born anywhere, they could be anyone, and yet they always found each other." the man's tone held a strange amazement now._

_"One of the reincarnations of the God of Fire was the first king of Tyria, and his brother, the God of Wind helped him make that kingdom. Then the God of Wind, made a huge fountain, with the statues of his brother and his wife on it, and made it so that the fountain would remind them about who they were, if they visited it twice. But the God of Fire said that he did not want such a thing to be easily accessible, and so the God of Wind placed that fountain on the highest cliff he could find."_

_"So even now, the God of Fire and the Goddess of Fate, keep being reborn as humans, in different places and in different times, but they always end up finding each other, and they always live happily together." the man finished his tale to resounding applause._

_"Now I have to be on my way child." the man said as he set the little girl down from his lap and stood up. He gave a small salute to the girl's mother before heading out. The little girl stood where she was for a minute, and then having made up her mind, ran after him, and only caught up to him right outside the gate._

_The man looked at her in surprise. "Yes child?" he asked kindly._

_"What are their names?" she asked panting._

_"Whose names?" the man asked._

_"The names of your brother and his wife? They've been reborn again, right?" she asked brightly, and the man stared before bursting out into loud laughter._

_He ruffled the girl's hair. "And this is why I still live on earth. Their names are ..."_

_The girl gave him a brilliant smile. "If they ever come here, the food in the tavern is free for them." she told the man seriously and he smiled, his blue eyes twinkling._

_"I'll let them know the next time I see them." he said before walking away into the night._

* * *

**Present Day: **

**Natsume's POV: **

I could still see the innocent look on that little girl's face, just like I could see the laughter dancing in Ruka's blue eyes.

If what I had seen was not a dream, then I was.. then Mikan was.. No. Of course not. It was just my imagination running rampant. Its not like I had heard the names. Its not like it was anything more than a dream. Right. It was nothing more than a dream.

I tried to ignore all of that, and concentrated of practicing with my swords. I needed something to burn off all this restlessness that coursed through me.


	16. Chapter 16

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**Normal POV: **

"Let go of my mate, boy." Natsume said in a voice filled with icy fury.

Ruka let go of Mikan's throat and turned to see the God of Fire in all his glory, his eyes promising the wrath of hell, and his black wings unfurling behind him.

"Hullo Brother. It has been a while." Ruka said pleasantly.

* * *

_**Flashback: **_

_**1 hour ago: **_

_Natsume was practicing in the yard, his scimitars a blur around him, but nothing he did could make him calm down. All his peace was shredded and all he could think of was for someway to get rid of the strange restlessness that plagued his very soul._

_He stopped when Youichi approached him with some water, but to his surprise someone started applauding. Since such a thing (applause) was really rare in this place, almost everyone stopped turn and stare at the man who was even now cheerfully clapping his hands as he walked towards Natsume._

_Natsume raised an eyebrow at the blue eyed, blonde haired man, but that was all the reaction he gave him as he drank the water, and gave the jug back to Youichi. Natsume waited until Youichi was in the distance before settling his gaze on his visitor._

_"It is a surprise to see you grace us with your presence." Natsume said politely though his tone was sarcastic._

_"You do not sound very enthused." Ruka answered amiably._

_Just then Mikan skidded to a stop on one end of the practice yard, but she stopped where she was at the look Natsume threw her. Tsubasa and Lord Izumi had also arrived with her, and now Tsubasa started forward, his eyes fixated on the stranger who stood in their palace so brazenly, but Mikan stopped him with a hand on his arm._

_"He's untouchable." she whispered to him, and Ruka turned to look at her._

_"Nice to see you again Mikan!" he said with a smile, his voice carrying easily in the tense silence that had descended in the place._

_Mikan nodded, and Ruka's smile widened. "You know, calling someone 'untouchable' is an insult in some cultures. though of course I know you meant no offense." he said easily, but Mikan felt goosebumps rise on her skin._

_"Why're you here?" Natsume asked coldly, pulling Ruka's attention back to himself._

_"Oh.. that. Quite simple actually. I was hoping we could have a mock fight. A practice duel, if you will. I was hoping to make you feel better considering how restless you have been feeling lately." Ruka said brightly._

_Natsume stared at him, and slowly a smile spread on his face. A smile of pure anticipation of a good fight._

_"Shall we start then? Victor is the one who draws first blood." he asked twirling his scimitars._

_Ruka grinned and he took out a long, thin and slightly curving sword. "This is a katana." he told Natsume coolly. No one pointed out that they were fighting with eal, and sharp weapons in their 'mock' duel. No one dared to, and neither of them would have it any other way._

_The clang of steel on steel rang out, again and again, as they fought. Their bodies, were a blur, and their swords were hardly visible, except for the sparks that flew off them. Even Tsubasa watched awed by the amazing display of skill and strength._

_But even though they were evenly matched in skill, Natsume was getting tired, while Ruka's energy was limitless, and then just as soon as it had started, the fight ended. _

_Ruka's katana was at Natsume's throat, and a faint line of red appeared on his skin. _

_"I win!" Ruka said with a smile as he stepped back and Natsume nodded. They both knew that if this had been a real fight, Natsume's head would not be attached to his shoulders anymore. Ruka sheathed his katana, and Natsume did the same with his scimitars. _

_"Now what do I want as my prize?" Ruka asked, looking around musingly, and then his eyes came to rest on Mikan. He smirked. _

_"There is only one thing that you possess that holds any worth to me." he told Natsume, his eyes fixed on Mikan, and then in the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of her, his hand curled around her throat. _

_**Flashback Over**_

* * *

**Normal POV: **

"It should have been longer. Why did you wake me up?" Natsume said frostily.

"You sure you're the God of Fire? You're always so cold." Ruka retorted.

"If you wanted me obedient, then you should have let me stay human." Natsume answered, but his expression was now only annoyed compared to how furious he had been.

"But I missed you. It has been a thousand years since I saw you. Do you know how long that is?" Ruka asked.

"Who're you and what have you done with my brother?" Natsume asked with a raised eyebrow, and suddenly Mikan giggled.

Ruka turned to her with his eyes narrowed. "You should be frozen." Natsume though extended his hand to her, and with a smile she went to him, and took his hand in hers.

"What can I say, you woke me up, and I did not feel like having my time frozen after that." Mikan told Ruka.

Everyone around them, had been frozen the moment Natsume had awakened, their time stopped by Ruka.

"What are you up to?" Natsume asked Ruka with a small sigh, even as Mikan wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I am going to bring you back. You are the Prince of Heaven. The eldest son of the king, and I will not let you stay banished from home any longer, because of what I did." Ruka said seriously.

Mikan rested her head on Natsume's shoulder.

"You did not send us here. We chose this, remember?" she said softly.

"Because you wanted to send me back home." Ruka cried out.

"Because we wanted to leave home and you were a convenient excuse. Do not get ahead of yourself boy." Natsume said coldly.

"I can't believe that! I won't fall for that. Stop being stubborn!" Ruka snapped. Natsume closed his eyes, as if striving for patience.

"You want to give me back my wings, so I can go to heaven, defeat our father and become the next King of Heaven. Then I will have the power to grant Mikan wings, as well as purify your wings. Correct?" Natsume asked, his voice quiet.

Ruka nodded, amazed that Natsume had figured out his plan with such ease.

"Let me show you something then, brother." Natsume said softly. His wings spread out behind him, and as if it were the nigh turning to morning with the rise of the Sun, the inky black color left his wings, leaving them a pure solid gold.

Ruka gaped.

"What was that?" he asked stunned.

"I could always purify your wings. I chose not to because then Mikan and I could not leave heaven together. We chose to leave, just like we chose to be human. That is all there is to it." Natsume said softly, and Ruka stood there, a betrayed look on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice merely a whisper.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You can leave now, Ruka." Natsume said coldly, and with a last despairing look at them, Ruka vanished.

Natsume's wings turned black once more.

"We hurt him." Mikan said softly.

"It was better than him finding out the truth. We cannot go back to heaven, and if he ever found out the real reason, he would never forgive himself." Natsume said, his head resting on her shoulder.

Mikan ran her hands through his hair.

"Do you want to stay awakened?" she asked Natsume and he shook his head.

Mikan reached up and kissed him, before going back and standing where she had been when all this had first started. Natsume was looking sadly into her eyes before he waved his hand, and everyone around them was unfrozen once again, and none of them had any memory of Ruka or the match he had had with Natsume. Natsume and Mikan knew that the God had visited them, but that was all they remembered since their memories were again sealed. The world had gone back to being normal.

No one noticed the black-haired violet-eyed young woman who now slipped away. The only person who knew everything that had happened here today.


	17. Chapter 17

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**Author Note: Thanks a lot for the reviews! This chapter is more like, just paving the way for the next one. But I hope you guys don't dislike it. **

**I am sorry that I have not been answering my reviews. I'll start again soon. But I am reading them, usually more than once, and am really grateful :) **

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

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**Normal POV: **

"So thats what happened after I left." Ruka said musingly, while Hotaru lounged on a couch, having just told him everything.

He smiled at his wife. "I know it was a good idea for you to keep an eye on them. They're both back to being normal humans now?" he asked, just for confirmation and she nodded.

"So there was another reason they left heaven. Something I don't know, and they think I'll blame myself for. Now I need to know what it is." he said, his fingers drumming a strange beat on the window sill.

"Didn't you tell me that there is a book that records everything that happens in heaven? That would be able to tell us what happened." Hotaru said calmly.

"You need permission from the King to look at that, and I hardly think he'll give it to me. But perhaps.." he said, a shadow of an idea forming in his mind.

"Lets go back to heaven. We have work to do." Ruka said suddenly clapping his hands. Hotaru smiled, it was good to see her Ruka looking forward to things again, even if those things meant a lot of trouble.

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

All my previous restlessness had just vanished, leaving me reeling. The only thing I could think of was that Ruka had helped me. It irked me no end that I did not remember his visit, as well as the fact that the memory erase had to be his doing, but then again there was nothing I could do about it. I knew my Princess had come to the same conclusion.

Now I watched as Mikan learnt to ride her new horse. Her father had, thankfully, given up on getting her to meet suitors after she had told one of them that she could not marry him because she would never have any children with him. The poor man had been terribly shocked. Tsubasa and I had roared with laughter when she told us that was because he looked greasy and she would never let anyone like that touch her. So now she had a horse to amuse herself. A Gift from her father, who did not know whether to be amused or angry at his daughter's antics.

"I have news!" Tsubasa called from behind us and we both stopped our banter about the horse to look at him.

"Mikan-sama, your grandparents will be visiting the capital." He said without inflection, but Mikan flinched as if he had slapped her. After seeing what her grandmother's presence did to her, I could not blame her for her reaction.

"When?" I asked.

"They will be visiting next week, and so far the plan is for them to stay for around a week." Tsubasa answered, his gaze concerned as it checked on Mikan.

"What'll happen, will happen." My Princess said bravely, though her mouth was a thin line now. "Might as well get ready for the ordeal then."

We both nodded, though we knew there was no way to really stop the pain that plagued her in her grandmother's presence.

* * *

**2 Weeks Later: **

**Natsume's POV: **

To say that I was tired was the biggest understatement at the moment. To say that my Princess was in pain, was another huge understatement. It had been a week since Mikan's grandparents had arrived, and I had spent every possible moment trying to keep my Princess's headaches at bay. I had barely slept this entire week, and now by sheer habit, my hands were always radiating heat that i used to alleviate her headaches.

We had been looking forward to her grandparents departure, but to our horror, their stay had been extended by another week. Even though I was too tired to think, I was still worried about Mikan. She was curled up on the bed, her head resting in my lap, and my warm palms on her forehead. Inspite of the heat that I was radiating to keep the pain at bay, I knew she was still hurting. It galled me like anything that I could not do anymore than this.

I heard someone enter the room and looked up to see Tsubasa standing there, his eyes betraying his concern.

"What if we leave town?" he asked me.

"Can't. It would be considered rude to her grandparents." I bit out. I had already asked Mikan, and that had been her reply. Tsubasa looked at me hopelessly. He knew I was nearing my limit as well.

Suddenly his face lit up.

"Riding in the desert to practice her new horse." he said cheerily, and I scowled before nodding. It seemed like a good enough idea.

"We should go as soon as possible." I said.

"Not we. You should stay and get some rest. You've hardly slept for a week." My Princess objected from my lap.

"We're only going out enough to get rid of my headache for a while. We'll be fine, and Tsubasa is with me, after all. You really should take the time to relax." she said stubbornly, as she tried to sit up. I knew no matter what I said, she wouldn't agree. I also would make a lousy guard as I was right now.

"Fine. I'll stay back." I said with a sigh, and even though I could not say the words 'Be safe' I knew she read them in my expression just fine.

* * *

I watched as My Princess, Tsubasa and two soldiers set out for her 'horse ride' through the desert. Then I headed straight to my room and crashed. Whatever sleep I could get before they came back, would be most welcome and desperately needed.

* * *

**Tsubasa's POV: **

We rode in silence until we were out of sight of the city, and then Mikan-sama let out a great whoop of laughter. I realized we were far enough for her headache to be gone, and I had to smile, and even the other soldiers with me could not keep straight faces. The fact that her grandmother gave her headaches was well known in the household (though very few knew that she also blocked Mikan-sama's visions).

We rode around for a while, not really going anywhere, when I saw something glint at a distance.

My blood ran cold, and I yelled that one hated word. "AMBUSH!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**Yuuto Tamano **

**yuuki36**

**muzikchic4eva **

**natsumikanluverization697**

**Maria-Reynne **

**Lily-whitePrincess **

**natsumeslover **

**Claerine **

**kara'mel'-chan **

* * *

**Normal POV: **

"What do you want from me?" Mikan said coldly.

"Should a seer like you really be asking me that?" the man asked, making all the other laugh.

"I am not a seer." she snapped, making them laugh even more.

Then the man who appeared to be the leader ripped the veil off her face.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to tell lies? That scar is the proof that you're the seer Mikan Sakura." he said as he ran his hand down her face. Mikan tried to get away but he just clamped his hand down on her cheek.

"Let her go." Tsubasa snarled and was rewarded by a punch to his kidney.

"Make sure you keep a good eye on that one. I heard he is a fire manipulator." the man said nodding to him.

Tsubasa's eyes narrowed. They had mistaken him for Natsume, but that aside, these men seemed to know too much about them. Someone had set this up. Someone who knew entirely too much about them.

Even as Tsubasa watched they made Mikan drink something, and then poured it down his throat as well. After a few more hits to him they left the tent.

"Are you okay Mikan-sama?" Tsubasa asked softly. She raised her head to look at him.

"I can barely see it but.. you have to let Natsume know where we are.." she mumbled before she fainted. The ropes still kept her upright but she was unconscious now, just as those men had wanted.

I got to work even though I could feel the drug taking effect on me. There had to be a way I could bring Natsume here.

* * *

**Natsume's POV:**

I was woken up by the sound of someone knocking on my door. I growled in frustration, before calling for the person to enter. I felt like I had just closed my eyes, and now I was awake again.

To my amazement it was Lord Izumi who entered my room. I sat up in bed and blinked.

"Why did Mikan leave?" he asked quietly.

"She went for a horse ride, she needed a break from the headaches." I answered bluntly.

"You are not keeping anything from me?" he asked and I shook my head, too surprised to do anymore.

"I don't think you realize this Natsume-kun, but its midnight now. Mikan left before noon. If you have any idea where she is, I suggest you start talking." he said coldly, but I was already jumping to my feet and getting ready.

She should have been back. She had said she would be back before sunset. I should never have agreed to stay back.

I turned back to Lord Izumi. I was wearing my travelling clothes, and all my weapons were on me.

"I will get her back." I told him and he nodded.

"Take as many soldiers as you need but bring my daughter back." he said before he whirled and left the room.

* * *

"Get ready for a tracking and rescue operation. Get rations and medical supplies for at least a week. Everyone needs to be a good warrior, and we're taking horses. I will be leaving first. follow me as soon as you're ready." I ordered Mochu and he rushed off to obey. I was rushing off to see the doctor so that he could give me a bag full of medicines in case something went really wrong when I realized that Youichi was running towards me. I paused as I noticed the look on his face.

Instead of speaking as I had expected him to, he grabbed a hold of my jacket and tugged me to the side.

"Is it true that Mikan Nee-sama is missing?" he asked me with wide eyes. I nodded.

"Nii-san there was a man here asking about her here a few days ago. He was asking about you too." the boy said seriously.

"Would you be able to recognize him if you saw him again?" I asked and he nodded.

"Who talked to him and what did they tell him?" I asked cautiously. If Youichi as the one who had spoken with him, then he might not really tell me if he thought I was angry.

"No one did. Everyone thought he was creepy. His companion though, he was different. He walked like you do." Youichi said quietly.

"Like I do?" I asked and he nodded again.

"You always walk as if you're walking in front of your soldiers. He walked like that, but his face was covered." he told me and i ruffled his hair.

"Thanks Youichi. You did good. I want you to tell this to Lord Izumi too. Can you do that?" I asked and he nodded before scampering off. I started back on my way to the doctor but my thoughts were on this strange military commander. I understood what Youichi had been trying to tell me, but i could think of no one who was related to the army, who would want to kidnap Mikan.

As soon as I knocked on the door to the doctor's, he opened the door and handed me a bag.

"Everything you may need is in there. Bring Mikan-sama back safely." he said and I nodded before turning on my heel and marching away. I needed to get to her as soon as possible.

* * *

As I started tracking her, the story started to emerge. They had just been riding aimlessly before they were surrounded by a large group of horses. There had been a struggle but that was all I could tell. It had to have been an ambush or something like this would never have stopped Tsubasa.

I followed the trail further and saw that the raiders had merged with a large caravan. Considering the tracks, they were going somewhere far through the desert without stopping for supplies.

I swore. I would need more supplies, or I could just reach them quickly and then take theirs for the return journey. That sounded good enough to me.

I followed the trail long into the day and it was almost dusk when I came within sight of the caravan. It must've been at least a hundred people strong. I cracked my knuckles and jumped down from my horse. I had better get started.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not ow GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**muzikchic4eva**

**yuuki36 **

**natsumeslover**

**A101**

**annereecelle**

**Maria-Reynne **

**MiNsEi**

**Claerine **

**Agent white cat with no gun**

**xxFLaMiNG MiLCuTexx **

* * *

**Normal POV: **

Natsume edged into the caravan, his dagger glinting in the moonlight. It was only a matter of moments before he found a guard. He caught the man from behind, his hand clamped on his mouth and his dagger pressed to his throat.

"Tell me where the prisoners are." he hissed.

The man tried to elbow him, and Natsume slit his throat before dragging the body to the side to hide it. He again started on his search. The next sentry also did not talk and natsume is another body, and that was when he saw it.

The shadows were different than normal. All the shadows seemed inclined to one side and if he looked at the effect together, they were pointing the way. natsume smirked as he realized this was Tsubasa's handiwork.

He followed the sign until he came to a heavily guarded tent. He moved to its back, and slit the canvas to enter. Tsubasa was there, barely conscious but alive.

Natsume moved to cut off the ropes binding him but he shook his head.

"Don't bother with me. I'll be dead weight. They just took Mikan-sama, so you should be able to catch them."he muttered past his bruised and broken lips.

Natsume cut the ropes binding him anyways, and handed him the dagger he had been using.

"Get yourself out of here and head to east. You'll find my horse. Mochu should also be almost here. I'll get Mikan out." Natsume said and Tsubasa nodded, knowing that arguing would be useless.

"They know too much about us, they thought i was a fire manipulator." Tsubasa warned.

"I'll be careful. Just tell me one thing. Can i kill them all?" Natsume asked quietly.

"Yes." Tsubasa answered as they sneaked outside the tent together. With a final parting nod, they headed in opposite directions.

* * *

It took Natsume precious ten minutes to find Mikan, and by that time he was getting frantic, wondering when the alarm would be raised. When he finally found her, it was by pure chance that he peeked inside a tent and there she was. She was unconscious, and he felt his fury rise as he saw that she was covered in bruises.

"Wake her up damnit!" a man snarled. Natsume had heard this voice before but he could not place it. He shrugged it off. It did not matter where he had heard this voice, since its owner was going to be dead soon anyways. He unsheathed his scimitars and slipped inside the tent. Two soldiers were dead before anyone even realized that he was there.

By then his scimitar was pressed to the throat of the leader.

"Drop your weapons and shut up." Natsume said in a deadly voice. The leader waved and the men obeyed.

"You haven't changed at all Natsume-kun." the man said in an amused voice and Natsume whirled him around.

"You!" Natsume spat angrily.

"Well, Its not like I was expecting to see you here either. The fire manipulator that she" he pointed at Mikan "uses as a bodyguard was someone else. So why are you here? Maybe you took refuge with the King of Slana and he asked you to bring his precious seer back?" the man mused, completely disregarding the sword at his neck.

"Then again, you should hate seers, not run around risking your life to save one." he said with a snide smile and Natsume growled low in his throat.

"Why kidnap her? Do you want to start a war?" Natsume asked coldly.

"Oh but I do. A war would be wonderful right now. I thought you would give me a war when you were exiled, but you left with your tail between your legs, and so now I have to resort to this. Such savagery." The man said in mock sorrow.

Natsume's throat worked as he stared at the man in front of him. At one time he had respected this man, trusted him. "You want to destroy Tyria." Natsume said finally.

"Of course I want to destroy Tyria. I wanted my son to rule it, but you took care of that when you burnt him alive. I will not let another Hyuuga sit on the throne where he should have sat." the man said, his eyes showing his madness.

"What happens if I kill you here and now?" Natsume asked coldly.

"War. The murder of the Prime Minister of Tyria, the most powerful man after the king, on Slanish soil would warrant a war, Natsume-kun. We both know your foolish brothers will start this war, just like we both know that Tyria will be destroyed if that happens." he said with a chuckle.

"What if I burn you and everything here to the ground? No proof no foul." Natsume said, flames coming to life on his scimitars.

"Like you destroyed my son?" he asked coldly. "By all means go ahead. Then sit back and watch how the war starts. No matter how you kill me, there will be a war. If you let me live, there will be a war because of what I did. Either way, your precious Tyria is ruined."

Before he could say anything more, Natsume rammed the hilt of his sword on his head and knocked him out. The next ones were the three soldiers in the tent.

Then he gingerly picked up Mikan. She was hurt but not too badly. Natsume stared at the man he had once called uncle, and he knew he wanted to kill him, but he couldn't do it. If he killed him, he would just be playing into his hands. He bit back his fury and slipped out quietly, carrying Mikan in his arms.

* * *

**Morning: **

**Lord Izumi's palace: **

Lord Izumi skidded to a halt outside his daughter's room and then rushed in. He had left the capital not long after Mochu's search party, but while they had managed to find the returning Tsubasa, Natsume, Mikan and the two guards, he had missed all of them completely. A messenger had been sent to find him from the city afterwards and so he had only just returned. He was glad Mikan was safe, but he wanted to know who had had the gall to hurt his daughter, and if they were all dead yet or not.

In spite of all the things that he wanted to say and ask, he was struck speechless by the sight that greeted him inside his daughter's bedroom.

Mikan was sleeping on her side, facing the door, with a light blanket covering her. Natsume sat on the floor, with his back to the bed, his head resting on her thigh that was right behind him, and his eyes were closed. But what truly made Lord Izumi smile was the fact that Natsume's arm was extended on the bed, and while Mikan was holding onto it, as she would hug a pillow, his fingers were twined into her long hair.

He could see the bruises on her skin, as well as the shadows under both their eyes. There would be time for answers later.

For now, Lord Izumi turned and left. If it took a warrior with no past to make his daughter happy, and keep her safe, then he would accept even that. After thinking that he might have lost her forever, his perspective had changed drastically. As long as she was happy, he was willing to sacrifice anything, and accept anything, even a relationship with her warrior.

* * *

**Afternoon: **

"Natsume stop!" Mikan called, and Lord Izumi stopped what he was doing as the voice carried over to him. His daughter should still be in bed, and Natsume should be by her side, not antagonizing her. Just then Natsume stepped into the room and Lord Izumi raised an eyebrow.

"I wish to speak with you in private, my Lord." Natsume said softly, and just then Mikan burst into the room, right behind him. She scowled at the men present there.

"Leave us." she snapped and they obeyed, filing out of the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Izumi said as he stood up and then helped Mikan sit on the cushions.

"I wish to tell you something." Natsume said calmly.

"And I am telling you thats a stupid decision." Mikan snapped.

"You cannot see the outcome so you do not know that. I can decide for myself Princess, not to mention, I will not take a gamble with your life." Natsume said firmly.

"But.." Mikan started again but he stubbornly shook his head.

"Fine! Be that way! Far be it for me to care what becomes of you." she said angrily. Lord Izumi stared from one to another before sitting down as well.

"Take a seat Natsume. I think this will be a long story." he said gravely. Natsume nodded and he too sat down on a cushion. He did not look at Mikan.

"I am the Youngest Prince of Tyria, Natsume Hyuuga. I was exiled on the pretext of a fake prophecy that declared me as the next king. My father called that an act of treason and banished me." he said quietly.

Lord Izumi raised an eyebrow but then motioned for him to go on.

"The real reason I was exiled was that I killed my younger sister's husband. He killed my sister, and I avenged her. He was also the son of our Prime Minister, and so to appease him, my father had to take some action against me. It was hard for them, since I was the Commander of the army, hence all the lies, but they finally worked and I left Tyria. Your daughter found me on the side of the road nearly dead, and I have been here since then." Natsume finished.

"Why tell me this now?" Lord Izumi asked.

"The Prime Minister of Tyria has gone mad. Not the normal kind, but the kind where he is a genius. He wants to destroy Tyria, and the easiest way is to start a war with Slana. As things stand, Tyria would be destroyed if that happens. He.. he had no idea I was here. They had heard about me, but somehow they mistook Tsubasa for being the fire manipulator. He kidnapped Mikan, and he intended to use her as the cause to start the war. I wanted to kill him, but that would also start the war, so i was forced to let him live. As the Prime Minister of Slana, you needed to know this. Also, I have to leave now, I cannot allow Mikan to be in danger because of me." he said in an emotionless voice and Mikan let out a small sound of distress.

Lord Izumi stared at the man before him and sighed.

"Do you love my daughter?" he asked and both Mikan and Natsume stared at him stunned. He raised an eyebrow and Natsume recovered.

"Yes I am in love with her." he answered.

"Then stop being an idiot. With all our guards and protection, we could not keep her from being kidnapped, and you want to leave? Do you want to see her hurt again? And thats not even counting what you leaving right now would do to her feelings." Lord Izumi snapped.

"I must be dreaming." Natsume said with a shake of his head while Mikan was gaping at her father.

"You knew who Natsume was." she accused.

"No. I guessed, but that was all. I just don't want to see you hurt. Also from what Natsume has told me, this man would be expecting something like this. Can you see anything Mikan?" Lord Izumi asked and she shook her head.

"I see. Thats still fine. Leave the strategies to me. Now that I know whats going on, I will make sure a war does not break out. I need you both to stay here and stay safe. I am sure eventually Natsume will have to go to Tyria and expose this man, or take the throne, but that time is not now." Lord Izumi said calmly.

"Somehow I feel like a child again, when I could just bring all my troubles to you, and you would fix them." Mikan said with a smile.

"Thats what parents are for. Now I suggest you rest. I want to see you get better as quickly as possible." he told her before turning to Natsume, "and you take good care of her, but make sure you toe the line as her warrior and don't think about doing anymore." he said somewhat coldly.

Natsume stood up and bowed. "Yes Sire." he answered and turned to leave.

"Natsume wait!" Mikan called and he turned back. She raised both her arms to him.

"Carry me?" she asked sweetly.

Lord Izumi met Natsume's eyes, and Natsume tried not to chuckle at the martyred look on his face, before he picked up his suddenly childish Princess and carried her to her room.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**annereecelle - thanks :) nah, he knows his daughter too well to ever bother going against her. **

**MiNsEi - i'll try on the first request, and I just granted the second ;) **

**yuuki36 - thank you so much :) **

**Maria-Reynne - that guy isnt actually natsume's uncle by blood. Just was close to him when he was younger. I'll explain more in the later chapters. **

**Yuuto Tamano - lol.. good to have you back :) I think Izumi was not shocked coz he suspected as much. A fire manipulator with red eyes who just showed up after a prince of the same description was exiled... he just let it be, coz Mikan wanted it to be left alone. **

**A101 - :D thanks thanks! **

**natsumikanluverization697- done! **

**muzikchic4eva - thank you :) You also gave me a great idea! Now if i am able to implement it into the story, i am sure you 'll like it!**

**xxFLaMiNG MiLCuTexx - you're most welcome :) I dunno... i dont really like writing action coz i dislike violence.. but I'll try and see what I can do, and where the story decides to go. **

**Claerine - glad u liked it :) wait till u read this chapter though ;) **

* * *

**Author Note: I am back :) with another chapter. I am sorry that I have not really been talking these past chapters, but I was depressed, and all the positiveness i had went into making the chapters 'happy'.. well not morbid anyways.. had that gone on.. i would have wanted to make this a tragedy. but thats over. After a shopping spree, i feel great, and my story is happy again :) somedays i am such a girl.. sigh.. **

**Thanks for reading, and please do review!**

* * *

**Lord Izumi's Palace: **

**Normal POV: **

Tsubasa entered Mikan's room and pulled up short. This was a rare sight indeed.

Natsume was sitting on the cushions, and Mikan sat in front of him, between his legs, her back to him. His arms were wrapped around her, and her head rested on his shoulder, while his was leaning back against the wall. Both their eyes were closed.

Tsubasa cleared his throat, and they opened their eyes, but neither showed any inclination to move. Tsubasa sighed and took a seat across from them.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked wryly, definitely unimpressed by the display of their intimacy.

"Yes, I wanted to tell you something." Natsume said quietly. Tsubasa nodded, all thoughts of teasing them gone, at the serious look on Natsume's face.

Natsume then told him everything that he had told Lord Izumi a few hours ago. Tsubasa said nothing as he heard it all, then he sighed again.

"I feel for you. Family is supposed to guard your back, not stick a dagger into it the first chance they get." he said in obvious disgust.

Natsume shrugged. "Perhaps thats what I deserved."

"I will not hear that from a man to whom I owe my life." Tsubasa snapped.

"I will not hear that from you. Period." Mikan said just as sternly.

Natsume rubbed his neck as the two glared at him, and it was a feat for Mikan to do so considering how they were sitting.

"Right. I deserved better." he said.

"Damn straight." Mikan and Tsubasa said at the same time, making him smile.

"So this man.. is there no way to reason with him?" Tsubasa asked quietly.

"Will Lord Izumi be reasonable if he talked to Mikan's murderer?" he asked him and Tsubasa scowled at the analogy.

"It does not matter that he deserved it. It does not matter what he did. To his father, he was a son, and I killed him, plain and simple. Now he is destroying the one thing he knows I still love. My country. We can delay it but not stop it, there will be a war. But what I fear most is if he ever found out about Mikan." Natsume said softly. He felt Mikan stiffen in his arms before she turned back to glare at him.

"Who do you think I am? I can take damned good care of myself, thank you very much." she said coolly, before snuggling deeper into his arms. Tsubasa and Natsume exchanged bemused looks between the contradiction of her words and actions.

"I am just glad that your grandparents are staying at the royal palace now. You would never have gotten better with those headaches." Tsubasa said and Mikan nodded.

"I know." Mikan said sadly.

"They know you love them." Natsume said softly and she nodded.

"Enough of this. Did you only bring me here to make me sick with your sappiness? It was very annoying to hobble around on a broken leg, you know." Tsubasa said irrtably, and Natsume smirked.

"Actually we're sitting like this because my back is sprained and its easier for him to warm it like this, rather than massage with his hands. God knows he is tired as well. I seem to remember him carrying someone with a broken leg on his back for over three hours in the desert sand." Mikan said grinning and Tsubasa rolled his eyes.

"What do you know? You were unconscious and on the back of a horse for most of it." Natsume retorted.

"That means I had something in common with Tsubasa." she said evilly.

Natsume sputtered. "Did you just call me a horse?"

"Did you just say that I rode him?" Tsubasa said in equal disgust.

Mikan clucked her tongue. "Be careful you two, someone might misunderstand."

"Gods! You should not know the innuendos behind that. What sort of princess are you?" Tsubasa snapped.

"You have definitely been spending too much time with Natsume. I am not a princess." she retorted, making Tsubasa roll his eyes.

"And you have been spending too much time around soldiers to be making such jokes." Natsume told her.

"What can I say, my best friends are soldiers." she said with a shrug.

"Who's she talking about now?" Natsume asked innocently.

"No idea. Must be some soldiers we don't know." Tsubasa replied just as innocently.

Mikan threw a cushion at his head and elbowed Natsume, but they just laughed. Grumbling, she got to her feet, intending to stomp off, only to have her back make her wince in pain. Next thing she knew, Natsume was gently tugging her back into his arms, and holding onto her tightly.

His warmth immediately dulled the pain, and to her amazement Tsubasa had brought her water.

"Just rest Mikan-sama. You need it." he said as he took the empty glass back from her, and then he shared a look with Natsume that she did not understand before leaving the room.

"What.." she started but Natsume silenced her with his finger.

"He was in pain Mikan, and yet he came here so you would not have to move. I think you can thank him best by resting, don't you?" he asked and she growled before lying back against him.

Natsume smiled as he held her close, savoring the moment. He knew, as well as Tsubasa did, that these moments would be nowhere to be found all too soon. That just made him treasure them more.

* * *

**Heaven: **

**Normal POV: **

"It is good to see you again, my lord." Ruka said with a calm smile and the King of heaven raised an eyebrow. His second son had ever been the rebel. In fact he had been the bane of his existence, and that was indeed quite a feat.

"What brings you back here? I thought you enjoyed the company of humans." the King replied coolly, but instead of waiting for an answer, he turned his silver eyes to Hotaru. "Greetings to you Goddess. You're the only good thing that his shenanigans have resulted in, but then again, Natsume and Mikan are to thank for it as much as Ruka."

Hotaru gave him a small bow. "Greetings to you as well." was all she said in reply and the King chuckled.

"Your wife is far more diplomatic than you, Ruka. You should learn from her." The King said amused.

"I will keep that in mind, sire. I have come here with a request, and was wondering if you'd be so kind as to hear me out?" Ruka asked politely, and his father burst out laughing.

"Amazing! You have learned from her!" The king exclaimed.

"Leave me with my son." The King said and everyone else left the room. Once the doors were closed, he turned his eyes back on Ruka. There was no humor left in them.

"You want to know what Natsume and Mikan are hiding from you. Why Natsume refuses to come back, and dispose of me, according to your brilliant plan?" The King asked, and his voice was tired, as if he could not even muster up the energy to be angry.

"Because he is a better son than me?" Ruka asked quietly, fully expecting his father to say yes.

"No. If your situations had been reversed, he would have killed me to save Mikan, while you left heaven with a broken heart when I refused to make Hotaru immortal. Neither of you is a better son, you have both been exceptionally annoying." the King said with a sigh.

"I know you wanted to get to the book to see what had happened, but i think I will tell you myself. I am tired of this game now, and its high time this madness ended." he said again in that tired voice, and Ruka and Hotaru sat down, their faces bearing identical perplexed looks.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Maria-Reynne - lol.. King of Heaven is Ruka and Natsume's father. **

**muzikchic4eva - Thanks :) when it pops into the story, u'll know u were the inspiration :) trust me.**

**natsumikanluverization697 - sorry it took me a while. **

**xxFLaMiNG MiLCuTexx - ah... now i get it :) thats okay.. n yeah I kinda did take it from the manga.. but only kinda since the context was completely different. **

**annereecelle - thanks :) **

**Crystal Rose - aww thank you :) **

**Chin-92 - n here i thought i had everyone fooled.. Sigh.. i am sure i'll get over my depression once a few things get settled. **

**Yuuto Tamano - hopefully this will clear things up. **

**Author Note: So I am sorry it took me a while to update. The first part of this chapter is the King of Heaven's (who is Ruka and Natsume's dad) rant to Ruka and Hotaru. He is telling them what Mikan and Natsume don't want them to know about why they left heaven. **

**Its not really anything earth shattering, just something thats more likely to happen between normal parents and their kids. Kinda.**

**I am not sure when I will update next. Life is killing me and migraines are helping it. *sigh* **

* * *

**Heaven: **

**Normal POV:**

"So father, why the sudden change of heart?" Ruka asked blandly. He had started to wonder about the motives of his father (King of Heaven) after his initial shock at his cooperation had worn off.

"Sudden?" the King mocked. "Do you realize how many years it has been since I last saw you? It has been more than a thousand years since that fool Natsume formed that country, and even longer since he left. You left how much longer before him?" he snapped angrily, making Ruka stare.

"Why are you helping us?" Hotaru asked quietly.

"Because I am tired of this. Tired of my children hating me. Tired of this place and its intrigues. Do you have any idea how miserable eternity is if you spend it with the same people? Ah.. but how would the two of you know? You have found the perfect love. The same way as Natsume has his Mikan." there was a brittle edge to the King's voice.

"Enough of this. Do you wish to know what he is hiding from you or not?" the King snapped before starting the story.

"I asked Natsume to become King in my place a long time ago. All he had to do was kill me, and he could take my place on the throne. He had the gall to refuse me. He said he was happy with the freedom he had and had no intention of binding himself to anything but his wife. Least of all a throne. I told him that if he would not do it, then i would make you king. He laughed in my face. He told me that you were the God of Wind. No one could bind you. So to save you from, and I quote, 'my clutches' he sent you to earth." the King sighed.

"You got caught anyways. By a mere human woman. No offense, Hotaru." the king said to her with an offhanded smile, "I could do naught but laugh at Natsume. You were mine now. You'd come begging when she grew old, and then I would infuriate you until you attacked me. Then I would finally die, and you would be king. But no. You had to be damned noble, and leave rather than give into your anger and attack me." the king said in a frustrated voice. By his looks, he looked like he was in his late thirties, but for the first time, Ruka could see just how old his father was.

"Your brother though was furious when he found out. I thought here was again a chance for me to have my peace, but again that foolish brother of yours found a way to get past me. Instead of killing me, so he would have the power to grant you everything, he destroyed himself to do the same." the king snarled.

"Black wings? Black wings on the most powerful god? It was madness, and yet he did it. He did it so that he could be free. So that you could be free. I wanted to kill him for that particular foolishness, and as if that was not enough, Mikan gave up her wings as well." and now the King leaned back, looking really sad.

"You" he pointed a finger at Ruka, "and your brother, are most distressing, but Mikan.. she is a lovely child. She is as fair, as Natsume is dark, as happy as he is gloomy, and she actually could make me smile. Yet now, because of my two idiotic sons, she was gone from heaven as well. What was i to do? I went to them. I offered to give them both gold wings again. I asked them to come back. No conditions attached. Yet they refused. Your madness had affected them completely, and they wanted to live among humans." the King said sharply, glaring at Ruka.

"You have wondered why they are born again and again as humans? They are born that way because I was so furious that I cursed them to it. They wanted to live among humans, and I made it so that they would have no choice about it. Of course there was a limit to what I could do, because I did not make the curse eternal. So they still look the same and even have the same names." he said his voice cold now.

"Is that why they always find each other?" Ruka asked softly.

The King of Heaven shook his head. "No. They find each other because they want to. They love each other too much to ever stay apart. They just move towards each other, no matter what. The way the Moon moves around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun." and then the king smiled a small but true smile, "This one time, Natsume was a hunter, and she was the priestess of a temple where all forms of killing were forbidden. It was most amusing to see him trying to convince her family that they could be happy together."

Ruka stared at his father. What had changed him so much? Or maybe, he had just never known his father at all.

"What is so damning about all this that they would not tell me?" Ruka asked, and the King sighed.

"It all started because Natsume refused the throne. He is afraid that to bring him back here, you will take it. He wants your freedom above all else. Not to mention, Mikan keeps telling me that there is something that will happen in a 'few' years that she wants me to see. I could not care less, but her husband is stubborn when it comes to fulfilling her wishes." The King replied dead pan.

"You're just lonely and bored." Hotaru said coolly as she stood up. "Come with us. Believe me, humans are amazing, I've been one, I should know." she smirked, "You'll enjoy the trip."

The King shook his head. "I have.." but Ruka cut him off.

"If Gods cannot manage themselves for a while without their King, then they do not deserve to be called Gods. Come with us father. You truly do need it. Also I am sure that by now, Natsume's life has gotten even more interesting. It'll be fun to watch. It always is." Ruka said with a grin. The King looked from one to another, before he finally nodded.

* * *

******1 Month Later:**

**Natsume's POV:**

I stared at the man before me. Well not quite. I stared at the God who stood before me, not exactly sure as to what was going on.

"So you wish to join the palace guards?" Tsubasa asked him calmly. Well, of course he was calm. He had no idea who was standing in front of us.

"Yes, the both of us." Ruka said indicating himself and the man next to him. I eyed the man, wondering if he was a God as well. He looked like any other man, in his mid thirties, except for his piercing blue eyes which were a lot like Ruka's, but darker, somewhat like the night sky. Ruka's wife however, was not here.

"My wife would be joining us later." Ruka said as if reading my mind.

Tsubasa nodded. "I don't really know who you are, so I can't really.." he started but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Let them stay." was all I could say, and he gave me a sharp look before nodding.

"Fine." Tsubasa said and clapped his hands and a servant appeared.

"These men are our soldiers from now on. Show them to the barracks. One of them has a wife. When she visits, then he can have a room in the Palace proper." Tsubasa ordered and the man nodded, before motioning for the two men to follow. I let out a relieved breath as soon as they were out of the room.

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" Tsubasa asked.

"That was the man I met at the Fountain of White." I said coldly.

"You did not meet a man there.. you met..." Tsubasa stopped as understanding dawned.

"Ye Gods!" Tsubasa breathed and I gave him a peeved glare.

"Exactly." I said before leaving the room as well, and following after Ruka. I had to know what the mischievous God was up to now, and who he had brought with him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**babee-angel - Natsume was faking those gold wings just to show Ruka **

**muzikchic4eva - humm.. all that definitely has possibilities. Maybe in the next chapter :) **

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**Maria-Reynne - yup he's my OC**

**MiNsEi - nope for now they dont remember that they are gods as well, so they have never met the King of heaven before. **

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**Author Note: I am sorry it took me so long to update. I just havent been able to write. Or if I did manage to write, I did not like it. Does anyone have any good music suggestions? Music does always inspire me. Any language is fine with me, as long as the song is something that can make me feel something. **

* * *

**Barracks: **

"Why are you here and who is your companion?" Natsume asked Ruka, who raised an eyebrow at his harsh tone but answered readily enough.

"Do you want the truthful answer or the answer that'll make you feel better?" Ruka replied, and the man with him smirked.

"Truthful." Natsume answered without hesitation.

"We were bored and that's my father. The name he will go by is **Zaik**." Ruka said, and the man (King of Heaven/Zaik) nodded.

"You were bored?" Natsume asked archly, and Ruka grinned.

"Yup! B-O-R-E-D.." he stretched the word ".. and things around you are always so interesting. If it makes you feel better, our powers are sealed, and we're _almost_ the same as regular humans." he said, his tone laughing. Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Very well. I hope you enjoy yourselves." He said before leaving the room.

"Don't you worry, we definitely will." Ruka said softly to his retreating back, but if Natsume heard, he gave no reaction.

* * *

******One Hour Later**

**Lord Izumi's Study: **

"I don't see what you are so worried about. We just have two more skilled guards here to do our bidding." Mikan said exasperated, and Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Did you forget that both of them are Gods? And that we remember nothing from the last time one of them visited us?" Natsume asked. He had come up with a plan to deal with Tyria yesterday and they had been working on fine tuning it since then, but the arrival of the Gods today had thrown everything in confusion. Or so he thought, but Mikan obviously disagreed.

"Will your worrying solve anything?" Mikan asked coolly and he sighed. She had him with that one.

"If you cannot be rid of them, use them. They're guards under your command, and a God is not likely to go back on his word. Make them give you their word, and you have two very strong allies." Lord Izumi pointed out calmly. Natsume nodded after considering it for a minute.

"They can protect the Princess while I am gone." he said softly.

"If they're protecting anyone, its going to be you." Tsubasa said coldly.

Natsume looked surprised. He had expected Mikan to protest, but not Tsubasa.

"Lets face it, with what you're planning to do, you need it more than she will, and from what you told us, they're here because they were bored and your life is interesting. I do not think they will stay here as guards while you go out and hog all the fun." Tsubasa explained, and he sounded seriously annoyed. Almost as if he did not want to stay home and miss all the fun either.

"While we are facing things, I have something to add as well." Mikan said softly, but there was a dangerous edge to her voice that made all three men give her worried looks.

"I will be coming with you. If you do not take me with you, I'll follow on my own. If you do not take the Gods with you, I'm sure they'll come with me. So they will be there to help you anyways." she still spoke in that soft voice, but Natsume looked like she had punched him. Lord Izumi's face had gone white, while Tsubasa just seemed resigned.

"I will not take you with me." Natsume said when he could finally speak.

"Were you not paying attention warrior?" Mikan snapped. "I will come, whether you like it or not. I will follow you if you do not take me with you. I can see enough of your future to be able to follow you."

Natsume's jaw worked as he tried to keep his temper in check.

"Do not forget that you are my warrior. You do not give me orders, you take them from me." Mikan said, her voice soft again, but icy.

"You are ordering a warrior sworn to protect you to take you into a hostile country with only a handful of men, with no guarantee of your safety?" Natsume said finally, his eyes narrowed in barely controlled rage.

"Yes." Mikan answered, meeting his gaze coolly.

"You cannot see far enough into my future to be helpful. You will be nothing but a liability, dragging me down." Natsume told her, his voice still filled with violence, even if his eyes were now empty.

Both Lord Izumi and Tsubasa were staring at him stunned, but Mikan just gave him a steady look.

"Then protect me better. If you are strong enough, I could be as much of a liability as I want and still not drag you down. Do you have no confidence in yourself warrior?" she said silkily. Tsubasa looked resigned again as he realized that Natsume had used his worst on Mikan and it had failed spectacularly.

Lord Izumi seemed to have come to the same conclusion, if his sigh was any indication.

"No matter what I say or do, you will come with me. I will never risk you following me, and something happening to you, and you know it too well." Natsume said, sounding tired.

"Your point?" Mikan asked with an arched brow. Now even Natsume sighed. She was not going to go easy on him. He had to admit he had started it.

"What if I had you put in the dungeon?" Natsume asked in a last ditch effort.

"Feel free to try." Mikan said dryly. She knew she had won, and she knew that he knew it too.

Natsume just shook his head and started back on his plans for Tyria. He had to make some changes to include his Princess as well as the two Gods/guards.

* * *

**Later in the Night: **

**Mikan's Room: **

Natsume knocked softly on Mikan's bedroom door. The maids had been sent away for the night, and so if he wanted to talk to her, he would have to do the knocking himself.

"Go away Natsume." came her voice from inside.

"I wish to speak with you Princess." he said softly.

"I do not want to hear any more from you. I have had more than enough for today." she answered and to his horror he was sure that her voice was choked. He could not stop himself then, he truly could not. He pushed open the door and entered her room. There was only one lamp still burning, casting a faint glow in the room.

Mikan was sitting on the bed, but she had drawn the gauzy drapes all around it, so he could hardly see anything more than her shape behind the sheer white cloth.

"Leave." she said coldly, but he could hear the pain in her voice. He pulled aside the sheer curtains, and there she was. Sitting as she hugged her knees. She looked away from him, not wanting him to see her face, but he knew that it was tears that she was hiding. Tears that were his fault. He had made her cry, and in that instant he felt like a heel, no matter what his reasons had been.

He sat down in front of her, and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. He had been right, there were tears in her eyes, tears sliding down her face, and he hated himself even more.

He had no idea what to say. An apology sounded wrong. He had said the words to intentionally hurt her, so that she would not come with him, so that she would be safe. How did you apologize for being cruel on purpose? How did you say you were sorry, when you would do it again, if you thought it would work? But as he looked at her Natsume realized something.

"I would not do it ever again. Even if I believed that it would work, I would not. I will just have to be strong enough to protect you no matter what, because your tears are too great a price for anything." he said sincerely, and Mikan blinked at him. Not completely trusting him, but the tears had stopped for the moment.

He tried to pulled her close, but she pushed him away, and he let her. He was stronger than her, but that strength was meant to protect her, never force her. Yet he had tried to force his decision on her, and the result was in front him.

"You would leave me chained in a dungeon if you thought that would be enough to keep me here." Mikan accused him. Her eyes were red rimmed, but she had wiped the tears away. Her mouth was a thin flat line.

"Not anymore." he said softly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked coldly.

"When we were talking this afternoon.. I thought I could do anything to make you stay here, where you would be safe. But I can't. I am the cause of the pain in your eyes and that is the one thing I never want to see again." he said gently, but Mikan was shaking her head.

"I don't believe you. You damned.. I am just a liability to you, you said. So be it, but right now this liability does not want anything to do with you. Leave me." She said trying to sound firm but Natsume could hear the tears in her voice again. She just wanted him gone so she could weep in peace.

He slid off the bed and knelt next to it.

"I will never do such a thing again, I vow to you." he said solemnly.

"Do what?" she asked, not making it easy, or maybe she just needed him to be clear.

"To force my will on yours. I will never do it again, whether it is by cruel words like the ones I said today, brute force, or any other unfair means of persuasion. There are some decisions that are yours to make and I will always respect that." he said, his gaze steady as he looked into her eyes.

Mikan bit her lip, indecision clear on her face.

"I cannot see you in pain Princess, and neither can I see your faith in me broken. I will not give you cause again." Natsume said, his voice was now rough with emotion and Mikan nodded. Her eyes were glittering with tears again. Slowly, almost as if he expected her to slap it away, Natsume raised his hand to caress her face. She let him do it, and a slow sigh went through him, as she relaxed to his touch.

Even as he watched, Mikan turned her face into his hand and kissed his palm. It was a simple gesture yet it warmed his entire body and his heart. She had forgiven him, and he was truly and completely grateful.

Mikan reached forward and took a hold of his collar and pulled at him until he was sitting next to her. Then she punched him. He had plenty of time to dodge, but he chose not to and she knew it. He just rolled with her punch a bit so she would not hurt herself. She was not happy about that, but she let it go.

"If you ever make me feel like an unwanted burden again, I will never speak to you or see you again." she told him and he knew she meant it.

He just took her hand (the one she had punched him with) in his own and brushed a kiss over her knuckles.

"Now you get angry? Why not hit me when I said it?" he asked her, a faint smile on his lips, but she knew he was serious.

"Because you wanted me to get angry." she replied simply, and Natsume sighed, before he pulled her close and held her tightly. He kissed the top of her head and after a while she looked up at him with her wide eyes.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked innocently and Natsume felt his jaw drop.

"Uh.. Princess how do I say this.." he said, looking very uncomfortable but she just stared at him, and he suddenly frowned.

"What do you mean sleep with you?" he asked.

"Stay with me, sleep here, but I will understand if you would rather get rest in your own room." she said, trying to seem like it did not matter. It did to her and he knew it.

Natsume said nothing but he pushed her gently back on the bed and pulled the blankets over her. Then he reached out and snuffed the only lamp that had been burning in the room. Mikan felt his breath tickle her cheek as he lay down next to her. She realized he was over the blankets, not under them, but he cradled her close before she could protest. She was snuggled into him and as his hands ran up and down her back, soothing her and lulling her to sleep.

Natsume lay next to his Princess, watching her sleep in the circle of his arms. He vowed to himself that he would never hurt her again as he kissed her brow. Then his mind drifted off to his plan for Tyria, and he was still thinking strategies when he finally succumbed to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**muzikchic4eva **

**MiNsEi - Mikan does not have the nullification alice. As for the rest, you'll have to wait and see. **

**Chesches2001 **

**Otaku-Mae - Thanks a LOT! I havent listened to the songs yet, but i m getting them today. i m sure they'll help. **

**annereecelle **

**Yuuto Tamano **

**yuuki36 **

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**Janet NT **

**natsumikanluverization697 **

**Shikyo Rikuo **

**A101**

**Crazy About Coffee **

**Author Note: First Off I am really sorry it took me so long to come up with this chapter. I need an honest opinion on how good it is, because if it is not, then it mean I need to wait some more before writing. Sigh. I did not mean to drop off the face of the planet, Ii just became too busy with too many things, and totally lost me peace of mind. Without that, I suck at writing (hence why I am worried abt this chapter too). **

**I hope that this is okay. **

**Thanks for all the reviews, messages and talks. It all cheered me up by a LOT! **

* * *

**1 Week later:**

"We are still in Slana, why do we need all the disguises?" Ruka asked as he tugged on the cowl of his cloak.

"Because no one must know that we are travelling at all. It would be very obvious if we travelled to the border and then just vanished." Tsubasa answered patiently, as he pulled his own cowl low.

"I can follow the logic of it, but why would you care if someone did realize we were in Tyria. We can just.. defeat them all and be done with it." Zaik mused.

"You were going to say 'just kill them all' weren't you?" Mikan asked amused, and Zaik shrugged.

Natsume just sighed. "Please try and remember that we are going to speak to my father and make him see sense, not to destroy the country."

Both Ruka and Zaik nodded but they were both smirking. Natsume just shrugged and jumped on his horse. Since speed was of importance and they were incognito, they were using main roads to travel to Tyria, and hence horses were faster and more efficient then camels for this trip.

* * *

Mikan collapsed on her makeshift bed on the ground as soon as Tsubasa made it. She closed her eyes, wanting to rest them for just a minute, but fell asleep.

"Mikan!" Natsume woke her up and she glared at him blearily.

"Sleeping." she muttered and he grinned before pulling her into a sitting position.

"Just eat something and then you can go back to sleep." he told her but she shook her head stubbornly. Natsume sighed and then broke a piece of bed, dipped it in the broth and raised it to her lips. Grudgingly she took a bite.

"Its good." Mikan said after she swallowed. Natsume smiled and fed her another bite. After that she took the food from him and started eating, ignoring Natsume's smug look.

The guys had brushed the horses down and set them to eat and rest while she had been asleep, and now they all had supper together, sitting around the fire, a little ways away from the highway, in their small camp.

"I don't think I have ever traveled with such a small group." Mikan said once she was done eating.

"No you haven't, because when travelling with a noble lady a lot more security is needed." Tsubasa answered.

"So thats why you all made me dress as a guy!" Mikan exclaimed, making Natsume chuckle and Tsubasa roll his eyes.

"Are you sure bringing a naive human along is a good idea?" Zaik asked as if he did not really care about the answer.

"My Princess coming with us is an excellent idea." Natsume said in a matter of fact voice which made Mikan smile.

"So be it." Zaik replied, but again his tone had no inflection whatsoever.

"I'll take first watch." Ruka said calmly into the silence that followed, and Natsume gave him a small nod.

The rest of them settled down to sleep without exchanging anymore words. Mikan had Natsume sleeping on one side and Tsubasa on the other. Without thinking about it, she held her hand out to Natsume, who took it and held it while she fell asleep. Tsubasa was facing away from her, and into the night, wary in spite of the fact that Ruka was on look out for any danger.

"Will you promise me something?" Natsume said softly. Tsubasa turned, because he knew Mikan had fallen asleep a while ago.

"Depends on what it is." Tsubasa replied, his gaze steady on the other man, over Mikan's sleeping form.

"If something happens to Mikan, then will you kill me once I have taken revenge? I will not ask you to kill me before I destroy all those who had any part in hurting her, but I cannot live without her, and neither can I trust myself to not burn Tyria to the ground if I lose her because of the country. The only solution is for me to follow her." Natsume said quietly.

"You would rather die than live without her?" Tsubasa said softly.

"I would do anything to be with her, and if that means that I need to die, then so be it." Natsume answered, and Tsubasa gave him a curt nod.

"So be it, but I truly hope that the day I have to keep that promise never comes to pass." Tsubasa said as he turned back to face the night.

"I hope so too." Nasume said before he closed his eyes in an attempt at sleep.

* * *

**Morning:**

**Natsume's POV:**

We were traveling again by the time dawn peeked over the horizon. My Princess might get tired by the end of the day, but she was used to our pace by now and easily able to keep up. I had decided not to worry if she should have come with us, and decided to be grateful that she had. With her abilities, we had been able to avoid many soldiers as well as bandits. We know just which city would be safe to stay in, and where we should not make a stop. It was all because of her that we had entered Tyria unrecognized even though we were travelling on the main traveling route.

Without meaning to, my eyes kept going to her slender frame, now covered in men's clothing and a cloak as she rode next to me. No one would mistake her for a warrior, but no one would think that she was female either. That was good enough as a disguise.

We all stopped when Mikan suddenly raised her hand. I was right next to her, so I could see the puzzled look in her eyes above the scarf that covered most of her face.

"We will meet a man in the next town, and he knows you, and I think he is an ally, but I am not entirely sure. He is very strange, so I am hoping you will know who he is." My Princess said to me and I gave her a nod to continue. The other three listened patiently.

"He is tall, as tall as you, and has light hair, almost the same color as Ruka, and eyes the color of spring grass." My Princess decribed him, and I knew who she was talking about.

"Yuu - The Illusionist." I said softly.

"So is he an ally?" Tsubasa asked, and I nodded.

"He is an ally, and a very powerful one at that." I explained, before I spurred my horse to start riding again. I was looking forward to seeing the Illusionist again. It had been many years since we had parted ways, but he had been a friend, and his return to Tyria could be very useful for me.

* * *

We entered the town three hours later, and headed straight to the inn where according to my Princess, Yuu was staying. Everything stayed uneventful until after we had dinner and taken up rooms and were starting to relax. I had heard the footsteps so I was not startled by the loud knock but Mikan jumped. Tsubasa, Zaik and Ruka were in the room next to ours, and I heard someone knock on their door as well. I scowled, and started to slip my dagger out before I answered the door but Mikan shook her head and I resisted. I opened the door and came face to face with a very surly looking man.

"Yes?" I said disdainfully, and he looked even surlier.

"You have to come with us." the man snarled and I raised a mild eyebrow.

"I don't have to do anything." I replied, my voice very mild. Anyone who knew me would have been running for cover, the man just tried to glare me down.

"Why?" Mikan asked him from behind me. Her voice was as deep as she could make it, but it still sounded like a boy's voice. The man turned his beady eyes towards her and I tensed, but then he gave a small nod.

"I am from the city guard. Everyone travelling through the city for the first time has to see the Captain of the guard." The man explained.

"Well, why did you not say so from the start? We'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes." My princess said, still in that fake deep voice, but managing to sound cheerful at the same time.

"You will come too?" The man said to me. I think it was supposed to be a half threat, but somehow he had made it a question at the last moment. Smart man.

"Yes, and we will bring our companions as well." I said and he nodded, and all the men, there had been four, trooped downstairs. Tsubasa met my eyes, and all three of them entered my room, but we stayed silent until we were sure we would not be overheard.

"This is going to go wrong, but it will go worse if we do not go." Mikan announced.

I raised an eyebrow in a silent question and she answered. "As far as I can tell, this is standard procedure in this city, but something will go wrong. I cant see what yet. No matter what, do not fight them if you can help it, and do not allow them to separate us." My Princess said and we all nodded.

We packed our bags again and walked downstairs. We could have left the bags at the inn, but it just did not seem smart to trust the innkeeper so completely. He would be taking care of our horses, that was more than enough trust right there.

The guards were waiting outside the inn for us. They motioned for us to follow and we walked behind them obediently. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of gold hair, but I resisted the urge to look. If it really was Yuu, then I saw no need to let the guards know that he knew me and vice versa.

We reached the, whatever it was, after a fifteen minute walk. It seemed like a mix of barracks, police station and prison to me. My Princess was taking it all in with interest, and I almost smiled because of it. Trust her to always find the silver lining.

"So you're the new travelers." The Captain of the Guard, a big burly man, said as he looked us up and down.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but they would all be very rude, so I just nodded. I could see My Princess trying not to chuckle. I guess she had seen the results of some of those things I had wanted to say.

"Why are you going through here? and what profession are you?" he asked.

"Mercenaries is what we are, and we are going to Seh. We heard that the Tyrian King is hiring soldiers." Tsubasa answered.

"Mercenaries!" The Captain spat in pure disgust, but then he narrowed his eyes at Mikan.

"Thats not a warrior." He said shrewdly.

"That is none of your business." Ruka said coldly, making the Captain scowl.

"Fine. Put them all behind bars for the night. We don't want them making trouble in our city." The Captain turned beady eyes back on us, "Its not that bad here, and you don't even have to pay for room and board. We'll make sure you're on your way tomorrow. Enjoy the rest."

"You cannot imprison us." I snapped.

"Sure I can." He said coldly.

"We have done no crime." Mikan protested.

"You haven't, maybe, but the other four are seasoned warriors. They maybe many things, but innocent is not one of them. I am letting you keep your things, even your weapons, and I will let you all go tomorrow morning. Do not make me make it worse for you." The captain snapped, and to my surprise before I could reply, my Princess stopped me and gave him a nod.

We followed another soldier into a large room, with bars for one of the walls, and no windows. The gate was set in the bars as well. The room was completely empty except for a pitcher of water.

We all sighed at the same time. I guess all of us had been looking forward to warm beds.

"At least we got to eat. I was getting sick of your cooking." Ruka said as he started making his bed. I gave him a mock punch on the shoulder.

"My cooking is better than the rest of you." I said as I started making the bed too. We were planning on lying in a circle, with our heads at the centre. This was usually how we slept in camp too. My princess was, of course going to be furthest from the door.

"Are we taking watches?" Zaik asked, and I thought about it.

"Nah. Lets sleep. We're all light sleepers anyways." I answered and he gave me a small nod.

We all slipped into our blankets, our weapons within easy reach, and tried for sleep. I felt Mikan stir in her sleep, and laid my hand on her forehead. She relaxed immediately. It was humbling to know how much she trusted me and my touch even when asleep.

"I never thought you were the comforting type." said a familiar voice, and I tensed.

"Yuu. Its been a while." I replied, turning so I could see him. He was standing on the other side of the bars, dressed a guard, but I knew it was a disguise.

"Natsume." Yuu inclined his head without looking down. "I heard what happened. i am sorry about Aoi, she deserved better." Yuu said softly.

I sat up, and stared at him, but my palm still rested on my Princess's forehead.

"Will you join me or will you join them?" I asked quietly.

"Depends on what your aim is." Yuu replied.

"I wish to talk sense into my father. A king cannot be the puppet of the psychopathic Prime Minister." I answered.

"What if he does not listen?" Yuu asked, and I shrugged.

"I will cross that bridge when I come across it." I told him and he nodded.

"I'll join you. It'll be more fun going against such odds." Then he gave me a narrow look. "You should not have brought the woman you love with you."

"None of your damned business." Mikan said coldly, with her eyes still closed. Yuu looked startled but I smirked.

"I guess there is more to your woman than I thought." Yuu conceded.

"Damn straight, and she is my Princess, not just my woman." I told him, before I settled down to sleep.

"They will let you go tomorrow, and I will join you once you are outside the city." Yuu said before leaving. I let out a tired breath. We had a powerful ally, but he was just like Ruka and Zaik, wanting to kill his boredom. I guess I was destined to be surrounded by weird men, and one Crazy Princess.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

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**I think will be updating more regularly from now on. Not 100% sure about it though. I also started an original story on FictionPress. com. The link to that profile is on my FF profile. I wonder how that one will go.. anyways, overall I am much better than I was, and hence, writing should definitely happen more regularly now :) **

**

* * *

**

**Natsume's POV:**

**Late Afternoon:**

**Seh (Capital of Tyria):**

"I have to say Yuu, it would not have been so easy to enter Seh if not for you." I told my friend as we entered the city through its smallest gate. Yuu was frowning, but that was all the effort that showed of the immense amount of power he was using to keep all of us disguised in forms completely not our own and inconspicuous in every way.

"I still feel weird. I look down, and its so not me, but I still fell the same." My Princess murmured from next to me. I grinned at her. Yuu had disguised her as a young man taller than me. She and Ruka were the only men in our group, and they both looked like they were barely out of their teens. The rest of us, including Yuu, were disguised as very curvy women. There was enough flesh showing that no one would think it a disguise.

"You think you feel weird? Imagine what I feel like? You would have skinned me if I looked down a woman's cleavage like this." I said pointedly looking down my own chest. Mikan scowled and Tsubasa snickered. I grinned when I saw his ample bosom move with the laugh. Yuu's illusions were very very good.

Mikan scowled both of us before moving a little away, grumbling under her breath something about 'men and pigs'. I just tried not to laugh. The opportunity to annoy my Princess was too good, in spite of the circumstances, or maybe because of them.

I.. realized I was feeling insecure and wanted to hold her, annoy her, just be with her to make myself feel better. I slowly rolled my shoulders, willing the insecurity away. I had no time for it.

I started when Mikan's hand slipped into mine. I looked at her, but she was looking ahead. I smiled to myself, and turned to face the city I had called home most of my life but was now enemy territory. My grip was tight on her hand.

We walked through the city until we came to the house of Old Man Glenn. I was the only person, besides Glenn and Yuu, who knew that the house actually belonged to Yuu. He barely ever came here, but he had told me it was a place where he would be safe if things ever went wrong. I had told him, how could things go wrong for one of the closest friends of one of the Princes. He had shrugged, and I had thought him paranoid. Now, I was glad he was paranoid, especially when Glenn opened the door and let us all in, without so much as a raised brow.

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

**Night:**

**Royal Palace of Tyria: **

We slipped through the palace, as quiet and as invisible as the shadows that clung to every corner of the palace. Tsubasa was following me, and Yuu was bringing up the rear. I had won the argument that Ruka and Zaik should stay at home and protect Mikan. Tonight was only recon so she had not insisted on coming with us.

I entered my old room, and stopped dead in my tracks. My older brother was praying at the altar in my main room. Levin never prayed.

He looked up, as if feeling my gaze, and I saw a small sad smile curve his lips.

"Did you come to take your revenge little brother?" he asked me softly and I shook my head. Tsubasa and Yuu were waiting outside, watching out for trouble.

"Then what brings you here to us? The ones who betrayed you, and the trust of our baby sister?" he said, again in that soft voice.

"I came to warn you all. Your Prime Minister is bent on destroying the country, and he needs to be stopped." Natsume said quietly.

"Uncle Keeran is now only our Prime Minister of the country to you?" Levin asked and I sighed.

"I killed his son, and so I have lost the right to call him Uncle. He hates me, and he wishes to destroy Tyria. Levin, I am here to warn father, that is all." I told him and he nodded.

"I believe you. You never wanted the throne. I did, and so did Jari, but you never did. If only we were as smart as you." Levin whispered.

"What do you mean 'did'? Jari is going to be king after father, and if something happens to him, then you will be king." I said, my worry starting to show in my voice. Something was very wrong here.

"Uncle Keeran, no, Prime Minister Keeran, runs this country now. Jari tried to stop him taking power over everything when father fell sick, but he threw Jari into prison. I am allowed to be in the palace, but I am not allowed to leave it, or see Jari. Father is ill, but I am not even allowed to see him. You might have come to talk to father, but Natsume, Keeran runs this country now." Levin said quietly, his voice betraying his pain.

"My brother is meant to be king, not stay in prison." I snarled, thinking of Jari. He was crown prince, and he had still loved his siblings, and he cared for the people.

"I agree. Jari was the only one who argued with father when you were banished. He had not known beforehand, and he was furious. Father actually had him thrown under house arrest to stop him from following you." Levin said softly and I felt my throat close up. Someone had fought for me. My family had not completely deserted me.

"Where is Jari being held?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"In the palace dungeons. That is all I know. Leave now Natsume. Guards will come to find me soon. I'll try to get to see father, to talk to him for you, but honestly, it will not make much difference. Keeran is in control." Levin said and he sounded so very tired.

"Who am I Levin?" I said and he stared at me, his face uncomprehending.

"I am a Prince of Tyria, the Commander of the Tyrian army, and the Master of the North part of the country. I left to protect this country, not because I was afraid. I claim my rights back. Go tell Keeran. He wanted a war, and by all the Gods, I will give him one." I said coldly and then I turned on my heel and left the room. I had to get Jari out of here.

It took us a while of slinking around in the tunnels of the palace, same as the ones back home in My Princess's palace, before we entered the dungeons. I became still. I had thought of Slana as home, not Tyria.

"What is it?" Yuu breathed.

I shook my head. It was an epiphany, but now was not the time, and they were not the ones I wanted to share it with. I wanted to share it with My Princess, and I also knew that it was not Slana that was home. Not really. My home would always be beside my Princess, no where else.

I moved forward, pushing aside my revelations about myself. They could wait, my brother needed me first.

It was Yuu who found Jari, and I sucked in my breath when I entered the rank cell. Jari was shackled to the wall, his wrists were a raw wound. His feet were shackled, and his ankles were a mess as well. I could see some bruises but not much, which helped me control my temper, but I swore that those who had hurt him would pay.

I undid the shackles and Tsubasa took care of the manacles. Yuu was outside the cell, guarding our backs. Jari fell into my arms, and blinked, as if he just now realized that someone had freed him. He looked at me, and I knew the exact moment he recognized me, because in spite of everything, he smiled.

"I thought I had lost you forever little brother." he whispered in a voice raw from days of thirst. He felt small as I held him, almost fragile. It hurt to see him like this, and I swore that Keeran would pay.

"Lets get you out of here Jari." I said softly before picking him up.

"You carrying me to safety little brother?" he whispered.

"I'm taking my brother, my Crown Prince, to safety." I replied and he closed his eyes.

"Welcome back." he whispered.

* * *

We entered Glenn's house an hour later. I was still holding Jari, and after one look at him, Glenn led us to the bath. I helped Glenn peel of the clothes from Jari, and I could not stop my wince at the bruises that covered most of him. His ribs were showing as if he had been starved, and he probably had been. I swallowed my anger, and helped Glenn wash and bandage him. Then we dressed him in a loose robe and I carried him to the bed in one of the rooms. He was awake now, and he ate the broth that Glenn had made for him on his own, while I sat near the bed and watched.

He finished his food, and slowly sank back on the bed as if everything hurt.

"You watch me like a worried mother. What happened to you while you were gone?" he asked me, trying to make me smile.

"Jari.." I started but stopped at the soft knock on the door.

"Come in." I answered and to my surprise it was my Princess who entered. She seemed angry about something, but then she glanced at Jari and her anger cooled.

"Tomorrow morning, there is open court yes?" she asked and I nodded.

"The King is ill and so it will be the Prime Minister there in his stead. There, in front of the whole court, in front of most of the city, your brother, Prince Levin, will announce your claiming back of your rights, and your declaration of war." she said in a flat voice.

"How do you know all this?" Jari said softly and she turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed.

"I know a lot Crown Prince Jari." she said, and I realized that her eyes were showing strain.

"What is it?" I asked and she turned back to me.

"Will you get your brother out of there as soon as he is done making his speech? Your appearance will cause chaos, and maybe you could even take care of the Prime Minister right then and there, and avoid the war, but no matter what you do, or don't do, get your brother out of there." she said, her worry coloring her voice.

"Tell me what you see Princess, please." I said and she closed her eyes.

"I was doing my best to follow what you were doing tonight. I could only see a little ahead, but I saw all that happened. I saw your expression when you found your brother, just like I heard your talk with Prince Levin. I can, of course, see his future, and if he gets caught tomorrow, you will not like his future. You thought Prince Jari was hurt, but that will be nothing compared to Levin. What they will do to him.." she shuddered, "you do not want that to happen to him, Natsume. You truly don't. I can hear his screams, and I can see.." she opened her eyes.

"Kill him if you cannot escape with him. Believe me, he will be grateful." she said before turning away and leaving the room.

I started after her, but Jari caught my hand. I stared at him, and he removed his hand. I gave him a nod and left the room, looking for my Princess. I found her in her room, pacing.

"I will get Levin out of there." I said an she glared at me.

"Then why can I still hear his screams?" she snapped angrily, and I flinched.

"I give you my word that I will not allow my brother to be tortured." I said and slowly she came to a stop. She turned to me, and I saw relief on her face.

"His screaming stopped. His future has become more blurred, so you are more involved, but he is no longer going to be tortured. Thank heavens!" she said, nearly collapsing in relief. I caught her and held her close to me.

Slowly her arms went around my waist, but she looked up at me and I could see the tears glittering in her eyes.

I led her to the cushions and made her sit down next to me. I kept both her hands in mine, and stroked my thumbs over the back of her hands, soothing her.

"When we were on our way to the dungeon tonight, I realized that in my mind, I was calling your palace in Slana my home." I told her and I saw her surprise. "Then I realized that if I were honest, the only reason I called it home, was because you call it home. My home is, and will always be by your side."

My Princess was looking at me in wondrous joy and I gave her a smile.

"I will end this, hopefully tomorrow, and then we will go back home."

She let go of my hand and lightly cupped my cheek.

"Everything just now, suddenly became blurry. Everything. You just changed it all." she said softly. "Can I come with you tomorrow?"

I started to say no, but then thought about it, and nodded.

"We'll find a good place to hide you from where you can watch, and Tsubasa can stay with you. That way, you can help if needed, or just watch what happens." I said and she gave me a bright smile.

"Now you should sleep Princess. I need to talk to everyone else so we can make plans for tomorrow." I said and she nodded. I lightly kissed her forehead before standing up and leaving the room to plan the start, and maybe even the end of a war.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

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**Author Note: Thanks for all the reviews :) Also I am now thinking that this story is close to an end. Anyone have anything they wanna see happen before that? Do lemme know. Oh and I know someone asked about Natsume's family before, and thats why I brought them in. JUst figured I should tell them that doing so for them was a lot of fun. Especially when I was trying to figure out names for everyone :) **

**oh and I'll try to update soon again. **

* * *

**Mikan's POV: **

"Its over!" I cried out in relief. "Dear God I cannot believe its finally over!"

Before I could say anymore, Natsume was there and he pulled me into a bear hug, lifting me off the ground, and whirling me around and around. I was laughing when he finally put me down, but the look in his eyes, made my laughter stop, and my breath hitch. Then he bent down and gently kissed me. It was a mere brush of his lips against mine, but I understood it for the promise that it was.

"I love you Princess." Natsume whispered against my lips, before finally letting go of me and stepping away. I smiled at him, letting all my love for him show on my face.

Tsubasa cleared his throat and I grinned at him.

"You're going to be even more smitten with your wife after you meet her." I told him and I saw his eyes widen, and he shut his mouth, not saying the teasing words that he had been about to. Good for him.

"Now you're covered in blood too." Ruka said calmly as he eyed me. I looked down, and sure enough, Natsume had gotten blood on me, when he had hugged me. I shrugged.

"I fit in." I answered him and he stared at me before throwing his head back and laughing uproariously. I do NOT understand the sense of humor of a God.

"Thank you." Prince Levin said, coming to stand in front of me. He too was covered in blood. They all were. I had been serious about fitting right in.

"Accepted." I answered him formally and he smiled at me.

"Pity you are already Natsume's Princess." he said with a mournful sigh and I laughed.

"Even if I wasn't, you had no hope." I told him, making all the men laugh.

I closed my eyes and focused on Tyria's future. I could see it clearly, and Natsume was not a part of it. Neither was I. But it was a good future, and I smiled, before turning to Prince Jari, who had joined the fight in spite of his condition.

"You are now King, and you will make a good king. Your rule will be prosperous, and the country will thrive." I told him and he gave me a smile. Then I gave him an impish smile. "You should also marry the one you love. You will eventually, anyways, so save yourself the worry and indecision. She will be an amazing Queen." I said before heading back to my Natsume.

Jari was still gaping at me, while Natsume and Levin were laughing.

Slowly, together, still covered in blood, but laughing, accompanied by most of the city, we made our way to the Palace, to usher in a new era for Tyria.

* * *

**Next Day**

**Afternoon: **

"Yesterday was a very _intersting _day." I murmured to Natsume, as we sat together in his room.

"That is one way of saying it." he answered. He was holding my hand, but that was too mundane an explanation. His fingers were playing on my palm, his thumb stroking my knuckles, his whole arm was touching mine.

"Lets see, Prince Levin declared your claiming of your rights in front of everyone, the courtiers supported him, and so did the people. Keeran almost had them subdued by the army when you got there, and then most of the army refused to interfere, because you are their commander. Then you fought through Prime Minister Keeran's personal guards to get to him, and finally killed him. It was only when you were finished that you realized, that Crown Prince Jari had also joined the fight on your behalf." I summarized succintly and he chuckled, but I was not done.

"Then I saw that an assassin would try for Jari's life, and I rushed to warn you, and succeeded so Jari lived, and all your enemies were destroyed. We won the war, without the whole scale slaughter you had been worried about. Your father is still ill, and so he has made Jari the King, and you are no longer exiled. How does that make it anything but interesting?"

Natsume laughed, and hugged me to his side.

"All that makes it a miracle, and not the least because of you. I am so glad to have you at my side." he said gently in my ear, his breath tickling me. I turned to him, but before anything else could happen Natsume's father cleared his throat.

I blushed bright red, as I realized I had forgotten that we were sitting there with his family, and Yuu, and Ruka, and Zaik, and Tsubasa. Sigh. Natsume had that effect on me, but he had been using it a LOT more than usual in front of his family.

"Please continue by all means." Levin said with a devilish twinkle in his eyes, while Jari just smiled. Natsume's father was too ill to leave his rooms, so we had all had our meal with him here. Now we were sitting together, just talking. Or had been, until my warrior had made me take leave of my senses.

"You're just jealous." Natsume retorted and Levin grinned.

"Look at her. How can I be anything but jealous?" he said, but he was teasing, and we all knew it.

I just shook my head. I was not wearing my veil, and so they could see my face. There was no reason to be jealous, and I knew it very well.

"You are beautiful Lady Sakura, even if you do not see it." and to my absolute amazement, the comment had come from Prince Jari.

I just smiled, taking the compliment, even though I did not really believe it.

"So what do you intend to do now?" The King asked Natsume.

I felt Natsume shrug next to me.

"By rights, you should be King now, little brother." Jari said softly.

"I do not want to be King. What I want is my freedom, and I will lose that if I become King." Natsume answered and for some reason Zaik laughed. When we all stared at him, he just shook his head, and waved his hand to tell us to continue.

"I thought you would like to be King so no one could order you around." the King said with a frown. I laughed, and he scowled at me.

"No one orders Natsume around, and I am saying that as Lady to his Warrior." I said, still chuckling. Tsubasa also looked highly amused. The King though, was still scowling.

"We were told that you are the daughter of the Prime Minister of Slana, not that you had made my son your warrior." He said, sounding offended.

"And?" Natsume said calmly, and the King seemed to lose his offended air.

"A prince should not pledge his loyalty to a noble." he answered, but I could see that he had realized his mistake. Natsume had been exiled when I had met him, and his father had been the one who had done the exiling, no matter what his reason for it.

"Pledging my life to my Princess is the best decision of my life." Natsume answered calmly, completely ignoring everything but the words directly said.

"Of course." The King said inclining his head. I think that was as close to an apology as he was ever going to give anyone.

"We got distracted form the main topic though. If you will not be King, will you at least become the Commander of the army again?" Jari asked, and I heard the desperation that he was trying to hide. He wanted to keep Natsume here. Natsume seemed to have sensed the same thing.

"My home is at my Princess's side, brother. I will live where ever she finds happiness and peace. That is all I wish." Natsume said quietly, but in a voice that would allow no arguments.

"I remember you being a bit more ambitious than that." Levin could not resist saying.

"You remember what you want to." Natsume said, and an edge had crawled into his voice.

"I am afraid so brother." Levin said, lowering his eyes.

"Remember this from now on then, I did claim my rights, but only because I needed to do it to protect this country. I have no intention of ruling Tyria and now I do not even wish to stay here. I think _no one_ will mind if we leave tomorrow." he said coldly.

"I will mind." the King said coolly.

"_No one_ whose opinion counts." Natsume specified as he stood up and pulled me along with him. His eyes were still on his father though.

"You may have my forgiveness, but you do not have my trust. This is not my home, and has not been since the day Aoi died. In my happiness at seeing all of you alive I had forgotten that, but my gratitude to you Father for reminding me again. We will leave tomorrow, and none of you have any say in it." Natsume said icily, before glancing at me.

"Can we take our leave Princess?" he asked, his voice holding nothing but deference. He was just rubbing it in for his father, but that made no difference. I was just as loyal to him, and so I nodded.

We left the room together, and I knew without looking that Tsubasa, Zaik and Ruka were right behind us. But when I did finally look back, Yuu was with us too. The preparations were made, and we all left the next morning for Slana. We refused the caravan Jari offered us, and Natsume spent a minute with his father as goodbye, but that was all. We had about all the Tyrian hospitality that we could take.

Yuu came with us, but parted ways when we reached Slana. To my surprise, parting with him mattered more than leaving Tyria had, and not just to me, but to Natsume as well. He just told us that he would visit when he could, and left.

The rest of the journey was like most of my journeys, except I could feel the edge of something. Something huge was coming, but all I could see so far was the edge of it.

* * *

**Two Months Later: **

I was sitting with Natsume in the terrace garden in my room. He was officially my Fiancé now, not my warrior, or not just my warrior. When I had been asked to free him of his warrior's oath so we could be equals, he had told the Priest (who had performed the engagement ceremony) that he was staying as my warrior, and no one but me had any say in the matter. The Priest had kept his mouth shut afterwards.

Now we sat together, talking about random things, watching the city, and holding hands all at the same time. He had also told everyone his true identity, but he still lived here, having refused the Slanish King's offer of staying in his palace. I was just glad to have him at my side.

"Have I told you recently that I love you?" I asked him suddenly, startling him.

He smiled. "You have, Princess." he said softly.

"Have I told you that I love annoying you?" I asked impishly now. He frowned, as if knowing that what came next could not be good for him. Smart man.

Then before he could really react or brace himself, I jumped to my feet and ran back into my rooms. He was only a heartbeat behind me, but that was enough, and he ran smack into Tsubasa, and both of them went tumbling down. I was laughing as they tried to get away from each other and the drapes that they had fallen into, and were now entangled in. Ruka and Zaik, who had come with Tsubasa were watching with amused and bemused expressions respectively.

Finally Natsume and Tsubasa were away from each other, and Natsume was looming in front of me.

"That would never have happened if you hadn't planned it." he told me, and I giggled.

He leaned in, and ran his palms up my arms, making my breath catch in my throat.

"Princess, you should not start something you are not willing to finish." Natsume purred, as his hands came to rest on my shoulders and he pulled me close. I thought he would kiss me, but at the last minute, he took mercy on me, and just held me close to him.

"He never could keep his hands off her." Zaik observed calmly, and I blushed while Ruka chuckled. Tsubasa wisely, gave no reaction. Just for that, I figured he deserved something.

"Tsubasa, you should visit the temple early in the morning everyday for a while. You will find your blessing there. She has hair that is a mix between pink and brown, and light brown eyes. Oh and start the conversation by talking about flowers." I told him and I saw his eyes widen before he nodded. I leaned even more into Natsume, smiling happily.

Both the Gods were staring at me.

"What? He would have met her there eventually. Maybe I was always the cause of it." I said, and Natsume chuckled, while the Gods shook their heads. Natsume and I sat together on the cushions and the other three men seated themselves in front of us.

"I came here, because according to Ruka, I needed some change, and your life is very interesting. He was right. It is definitely amusing." Zaik said calmly and I smiled. Next to me, Natsume nodded.

"I am thinking of going back now, since you have now solved most of your..." he kept on talking but I could no longer hear him. I was caught in a vision so real, that reality was gone for the time being.

I could hear Natsume calling to me, but all I could really see, really hear, really feel was the place where I was in my vision. I saw it all, and when I finally came to, I was in Natsume's arms, his face frantic.

"I'm fine." I told him and moved away. He looked worried but he let me do what I wanted. I looked straight at Zaik, but I was talking to Ruka.

"Ruka, have you ever been to a tavern run by a single mother in the foothills of some snowy mountains?" I asked softly, and there was a sharp intake of breath from Natsume. (Refer Chapter 15)

"Yes." Ruka answered.

"How long ago were you last there?" I asked.

"A few months." Ruka answered, but I kept looking at Zaik.

"Will you please describe that single mother? Kisha's mom, is a unique lady, is she not?" I said, my voice still soft, but my words made Natsume flinch for some reason. I ignored it. I was onto something very important right now.

"She is indeed." Ruka agreed. His voice showed clearly that he wanted to see where this was going, but he complied without my having to ask again. "She is tall for a woman from that area. Her skin is white like fine porcelain, almost translucent but beautiful. Her waist long hair seems dark brown, but it is a mixture of all colors from blonde to auburn, to dark brown." Ruka said, and I saw Zaik's eyes widen.

"What color are her eyes?" I asked softly and Ruka let out his breath in a sigh.

"A deep purple." he answered me, and Zaik jerked back as if he had been hit.

"I believe that you made a promise to the little girl to visit her again. I think we should go visit. All of us." I said softly.

"Very well." Ruka said coolly, affronted that I was not telling him what was going on.

"So be it." Zaik said softly.

"When do we leave?" Natsume asked me.

"As soon as we can." I answered him, and he nodded. Always my warrior, prepared for whatever I threw his way.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**Claerine - nope, not the end quite yet.**

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* * *

**Author Note: Okay, so it took me a LONG while to get this update out. Gomenasai! I think the next one would be soon. Btw, What do you want for the ending? NxM as Humans or Gods? I wanna know what everyone thinks about that.**

* * *

**Two Weeks Later:**

**Natsume's POV:**

"Come on Princess, Zaik is not listening right now, please tell me what is going on." Ruka whined for the hundredth time, but my Princess just smiled at him.

We had been travelling for over a week now, and tomorrow we would reach our destination. The road we had taken this time, had a lot of cities, and so we had stayed at an inn almost every night. I was glad to not to be travelling through the desert for once.

So far it had been a very amusing trip. It had started on a hilarious note when Lord Izumi had tried to get Mikan and I married before we left, and she had given him a look of such sheer horror, that even the stoic Zaik had laughed. Then it had been amusing to see Ruka beg her for information at every chance he got.

I laughed as Zaik clapped him on the shoulder, making him jump. Mikan was laughing as well, while Tsubasa was trying very hard to fight a smile. Everyone else in our caravan was too smart to laugh, but I could see a lot of grins.

"Stop begging her like a child for candy. You should know that she does not share such things." Zaik told Ruka, who actually pouted. That made me chuckle again while Mikan collapsed in helpless giggles.

"You seem to know whats going on more than me. You tell me if you want me to stop begging."Ruka snapped, making Zaik shake his head.

"Patience is a virtue. Not yours, not even mine, but thats all we have right now." Zaik said before taking his leave again. He was captain of the guard for our caravan for the first watch tonight. Tsubasa would take the second watch.

Ruka dropped his head on the table, not looking at any of us. Somehow, somewhere, him and Zaik had become our friends. They may be a bit different from normal humans, but friends are friends, and you just learn to accept them as they are.

"Will you feel better if I tell you a story?" my Princess asked Ruka who quickly sat up straight and nodded.

He was not the only one who had heard though, and in five minutes the whole common room of the inn, where we had all had just finished dinner, was rearranged so that everyone faced my Princess as she got ready for her storytelling. I sat next to her, but forgoing my station, I was happily sitting at her feet, my hand running up and down her calf. She gave me a sweet smile that told me just how much she loved my attention.

Ruka was on her other side, but he was a bit farther away, not touching the Princess, and at an angle that made it easier for him to see her face.

"When the world had just begun, there were very few Gods. They were wild, elemental beings, and the people respected them and feared them. Even then, all those elemental Gods had a King. It was not a position with a throne or a crown, but it was a position of true leadership." My Princess said in a carrying voice.

"This King wanted to see what sort of people we humans were. We worshiped them because of their power over us, and he understood that, but like all good rulers he wanted to understand his followers. So he came to them, came in all his glory, and yet he lived among them as one of their own. He spent a long time among the humans, and finally, even he, a God, fell in love with a human." Mikan stopped for a moment, and I wondered if it was a different version of Ruka's story but I did not think so.

"That human was not the most beautiful, or the most lovely, but she was his beloved. The King of Gods was madly and completely in love with a simple human girl, and she loved him back. There was nothing he wanted more than to spend all his time with her. When a God wants something, he usually gets it. He married the human he loved, and for a time they lived very happily."

"After sometime, the human woman gave birth to a baby boy. The King was so happy, that all the land was covered with flowers and joy. He loved his son, and even more, he loved his wife. One day, some other humans talked to him, and asked if he should not show his son, his father's home? All that the boy had seen so far was humans and human customs. Should he not also see the true house of his father? Their questions made him think, and he agreed with them."

"He talked to his wife and she too liked the idea. After all, her son was not a human like her. He was a God, and so he should also be allowed to see other gods. The King of Gods wanted to take his wife with him as well, but she declined. She told him to go, but only for a day, and then to come back to her. So finally deciding that it was no different than any of his hunting or travelling, where he was only gone for a day, the God left his wife here, with their son in his arms."

"When he reached heaven though, the other Gods were disdainful of his son. How strong could a half human be? They said. To their surprise though, when one of them took the boy and tried to use his powers on him, not only did it not work, but a child who could hardly speak defeated him utterly. After that, the other Gods learned their place. He might be a child, but they understood he was a formidable opponent. The King of Gods, had had enough, and he took his son and went back to his wife, or so he thought." Mikan took a deep breath.

"When he returned, it was only to find that on earth, many years had passed, and his once young and lovely wife was old and frail. He went to her side with tears in his eyes, begging with apologies, because he had not known that time moved differently in the two places. She was not angry with him. She was just happy to see him one last time, because she was truly on her deathbed. He begged her to let him make her healthy again. He begged and wept, but she would not listen. He sat next to her, as her soul fluttered out of her body, and he was left bereft." Mikan was speaking in a gentler, almost pained tone now, and everyone held on dearly to every word that she spoke.

"He sat there and watched her die because he respected her too much to make her live against her wishes. He watched her die because he loved her enough to let go, if that was what she wanted. He had lost the woman he so dearly loved, but the God did not wish to go back yet. He lived with humans, and that was where he raised his son. His son grew up knowing all about the other Gods, but never meeting them. He grew up among humans and that shaped him into a being kinder than what he may have been. His mother's people showed him all the good that was among humans."

"After he reached adulthood, the father and son went back to the land of the Gods. His father was still King, and he was a Prince. He was the strongest God, stronger even than his father, and everyone feared his strength, and no one came close enough to see his kindness. While the King and his son had been on earth, some of the other Gods had taken human wives too, in the hopes of having an incredibly strong child as well. None of the other half human gods were as strong as the Prince, but now there were many more gods, then there had been, and some of them were even younger than the Crown Prince." She said and a strange smile played upon her lips. I looked at her, and she looked back at me, as if feeling my gaze. Then she gave me a brilliant smile, and went back to her story telling.

"The land of Gods was filled with young Gods and Goddesses, all coming into their power, and it was a good time. None of them kept track of how much time passed on earth, and before they knew it, everyone that any of them had known as a human was dead and gone. The younger Gods had had people they had loved, and now they were no more. All of them decided that humans were too fragile, and they would try and not care too deeply for them."

"The King though, was still mourning the loss of his wife. One day, while he watched earth, just to pass the time, he saw her walking around in a forest. The King was stunned. He had watched as she had breathed her last, and yet here she was. She looked the same, her voice was the same, and when someone called to her, her name was the same. THe King was filled with joy, and he went to the human world to meet her again. He just appeared to her, and fell to his knees, professing his love." My Princess grinned suddenly.

"As handsome and godlike as he was, he still gave her a bad shock, and then he had to explain to the entire village that his intentions were good. It took him a while, but he was persistent, and he was careful, so he finally won her heart all over again. This time, he took her to heaven with him. He could not bear to lose her again. They had another son, and this one was as fair as the first one was dark. The first son though seemed not to mind. He loved his mother, even though she did not remember him being her son, and he adored his brother, and on him he lavished everything he could."

"The King of Heaven was happy, but the other Gods were scared. This was the woman who had given birth to the Crown Prince. He was the strongest, and his younger brother, still a child, was a close second. What if she had more children? No. They could not allow her to make them any weaker. So they conspired together. It was the oldest of the Gods, the ones who had been with the King before he had ever come down to earth, his closest friends, who now conspired to kill his wife. She was only human, and so she was fragile, and the plan worked. This time the King and both his sons watched as she lost her life, and her soul fluttered away." Mikan's face grew sad.

"The younger brother was too young to understand what had happened, but the King and his older son vowed vengeance. They killed everyone responsible, only to find that revenge is a cold comfort." Mikan said quietly.

"Revenge does not keep you warm on a winter's night, neither does it make you smile when you are sad, or make you wish to live when you are just existing." Zaik said from the side of the room. He must have come there sometime during the storytelling but no one had seen him, and everyone in the room jumped.

Mikan acknowledged him with a nod before continuing. "Indeed. Revenge was cold comfort to them, but they could do nothing else. The younger brother was now raised among the Gods, by his brother. His father, the King, had sealed his emotions, and he was now only a ruler. He chose not to feel anything, because his grief at losing his lady love again was too much for him to bear." and here, Mikan looked around the room and shrugged.

"That is how the story ends." she said, and there were groans all around the room.

"A happy ending would have been nice." Ruka said quietly, but my Princess shook her head.

"A true ending will be better." she said and he gave her a nod before getting to his feet in one graceful move, that looked effortless, but wasn't. I know because I got up the same way, and was rewarded by the look in my Princess's eyes.

I smiled at her, while Ruka rolled his eyes and left us. I led my princess to her room, where I stayed even after she fell asleep, with her head resting on my lap, and her hand curled around my waist.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Claerine - okeys. I like the idea and the reasoning. **

**MiNsEi - yup, that was about Natsume's family. **

**muzikchic4eva - everything will get answered in this chapter. **

**Winter's Melody - thanks :) and i will keep that in mind. trust me. **

**yuuki36 - yeah that story is about zaik and how Natsume and Ruka were born. The first time, the wife did not wanna become a goddess, (coz she was really contented with her life) and the second time she was murdered before Zaik could make her one. **

**XxpuffpuffxX - thanks :) and yeah I do remember you!**

**HibarixZhen - sorry it took so long to update. **

**moonlightnights - Thanks a LOT for the reviews! It was really nice to read it, and it mad me happy that it was long :) Humm about Natsume and Tsubasa, they are friends, but they love harassing each other a lot too. Especially with pranks. Thats what Mikan meant. Thanks again :) **

* * *

**Natsume's POV: **

I watched in absolute amazement, as the usually stoic Zaik, literally fell to his knees as soon as he saw the tavern owner. I mean, she was beautiful, and very kind, but this was Zaik, and he was on his knees, in front of a woman he had just seen, and all of us were left gaping. He was just staring at her, as if he would worship the very ground she walked on. The woman herself seemed amused, and surprised. I was glad for that. I had no idea what we would have done if she had been upset. It was a good thing that we were the only ones at the tavern as it was afternoon. Our caravan was setting up camp as this small village did not have an inn big enough for all of us.

My Princess on the other hand seemed to be having no problems. She walked towards Zaik, and knelt besides him.

"I told you there was something you should be waiting for. Was this worth you waiting so long?" She said, and I saw Zaik jerk, as if she had hit him, but he did turn to look at her.

"You're awake." he whispered.

"Yes." she answered, and suddenly I was on my knees, my blood roaring in my ears, and my vision running in streamers.

* * *

**Natsume's (God of Fire's) POV: **

When I looked up the world was sharper, more in focus. It was suddenly clear to the point, as if I had been blind all my life. I stood up, a smirk suddenly on my face. I could not help it. It was like breathing. I glanced at Zaik, who was still kneeling in front of the woman, and then my eyes alighted on my wife from where she was now getting to her feet. I moved in a blur, and then I was next to her, helping her to her feet.

She gave me a dazzling smile before throwing herself in my arms.

"You woke up!" she said happily, her lips pressed to my neck, making her words soft kisses.

"Yes I woke up, love, but really, you could give a man some warning." I told her, and she leaned back, putting all her weight on my arms wrapped around her waist.

"This was fun though." she said with a mock pout. I grinned.

Ruka and Tsubasa both cleared their throats at the same time, and we turned to them.

"Hello little brother. You're as precocious as ever." I told Ruka, and he chuckled, while Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. I just gave him a shrug. Maybe we would explain later. Maybe we would wipe his memory. Later.

Then I turned back to face the woman. She had ignored us completely, and well, from her expression she was lost in Zaik's eyes. I would have been amused, or maybe even somewhat disgusted, but this was a reincarnation of my mother, and the only thing I could really feel was joy. She was finally back.

"Ruka, that story I told last night? That was the story of how you and Natsume were born. Your mother had eyes that were a purple so deep, it was almost black. Her first son got the red from her eyes, and her second son got the blue." she said softly, and then her eyes flicked to the deep purple eyes of the woman in front of whom my father was still kneeling. Even as we watched she touched his arm, silently indicating for him to rise. He stood up, his frame towering over her, yet no one would ever think he was a danger to her. No. The only word you would think was protective.

Just then a young girl bounced into the room. She literally bounced, and the room seemed to have become brighter by her mere presence. I felt my breath catch, as I realized whose soul was in this little girl.

"Kisha!" Ruka said cheerfully, and she ran to him, jumping into his arms for a hug. My heart ached. I might have woken up, I might again be the God of Fire, but I still had the feelings and memories of Natsume, the Prince of Tyria, and that little girl in front of me had the soul of my younger sister. My Aoi.

I smiled as Mikan kissed my cheek, but then she turned back to my father. The King of Heaven, was now speaking in a quiet voice with the reincarnation of my mother. Sarai. That was her name. That had always been her name.

"Zaik? Why don't you go with Sarai for a walk so she could show you around?" Mikan asked sweetly. Father looked at her in surprise, then turned to ask Sarai, who nodded before he could even get the question out, but her gaze then went to her daughter. To Kisha.

"We'll keep an eye on this scrap." Ruka said brightly, and she nodded. We all watched as they left the tavern, and I felt myself relax. My father might be out of practice, but this was the woman he loved. The only woman he had ever loved. It would not take him long to woo her.

I turned to my own wife.

"Well love? Do we stay awake for a while more?" I murmured against her ear, my lips brushing her skin.

She just laughed and hugged me again.

"I wish to make sure that your Father does not mess up. we'll decide the rest afterwards." She answered me.

"As you wish Princess." I murmured and she chuckled.

"I like this name." she told me and I grinned.

"You do, do you?" I asked, leaning in for a kiss, but paused as Tsubasa very pointedly cleared his throat behind us. I turned to glare at him.

"What?" I growled, making Ruka laugh, even as he kept one hand over the child's eyes, murmuring to her about irresponsible adults.

"I don't know what just happened, especially to you both, but you are not married yet. Lord Izumi will have my head if you are publicly this close to My Lady." Tsubasa answered.

Mikan giggled and then pushed me away, and sidled closer to Tsubasa who eyes her warily.

"I told you to go to a temple everyday in the morning. You did not follow my advice." she told him before taking his hand in her own.

"When you get back to Slana, go straight to the Blue Temple, and fall in front of the altar. Pray for exactly an hour, and when you finish, she will be sitting right next to you. Don't mess up. I will not help you find your soul mate again." She told him, before weaving around him and plucking the child, Kisha, from Ruka's lap.

"I am Mikan, and that is Natsume." she said pointing at me. "Do you like fireworks?"

The girl nodded, a little wide eyed.

"Good. He will show us beautiful fireworks tonight." Mikan told her with a smile. "There will be a lovely breeze" this time there was a pointed look at Ruka, "and the night will be completely precious."

Then he swirled around, making the little girl laugh with her antics, before suddenly giving her to me. I had to scramble to make sure I did not drop her, but that made both the girl and Mikan laugh.

"I'm Kisha." the girl told me and I smiled at her, before raising my hand and juggling tiny fireballs in my hand, making her squeal with laughter.

Mikan though was back at Tsubasa's side, and I could tell from his expression that she had decided to tell him the truth of everything that was going on. This was going to go well. I could just imagine this explanation Mikan would give him.

_"Natsume is the God of Fire. I am the Goddess of Fate. We are married. Ruka is Natsume's younger brother, Zaik is not only the King of Heaven, but he is also Ruka and Natsume's father, AND that human woman he just went out with is the reincarnation of their mother and his wife. Just to make it clear, the storu I told last night, was how Natsume and Ruka were born." _

and in case that would not be enough,

_"Ruka left heaven on his own for his wife Hotaru, but Natsume and I made her a Goddess, and took the black wings from Ruka. Then we harassed Zaik until he cursed us to be human and we keep being reborn again and again now." _

Oh yeah. Tsubasa must truly be enjoying this enlightening conversation.

I pushed away my brooding thoughts, and pity for Tsubasa's sanity, and concentrated on Kisha. It was not hard to make friends with the sweet child, and Ruka and I were playing checkers with her when Zaik and Sarai returned. Mikan was sitting on the bartop with Tsubasa next to her. He looked shell shocked, but at least he had not gone stark raving mad. It was good enough for me. Then again, it would have been funny if he had gone stark raving mad.

We were all together the rest of the day. zaik was stuck like glue to Sarai. Even pliers would not have been able to remove him I am sure. I was stuck just as close to my dearest wife, even though, due to Tsubasa, all i could do was hold her hand. I did have Kisha in my arms though, and the child had charmed me.

Ruka had vanished, promising us that he would be back in time for the fireworks, and I knew without a shadow of doubt that he was with Hotaru somewhere.

It was good afternoon, peaceful, silly, and with a feeling of belonging and home.

* * *

**Late Night**

**Natsume's (God of Fire's) POV:**

"You know its very creepy to think of you as a God." Tsubasa muttered as we all relaxed in the hot springs later in the night.

Next to me Ruka choked, while Zaik looked up with an expectant expression.

"How is it worse than these two being Gods?" I asked testily.

"With them, I know the world in in peril, with all three of you? I know it is doomed." Tsubasa with an exaggeratedly resigned expression. Before I could reply, I heard giggles. I whirled around to see the woman casually peeping over the barrier between the male and female baths. My Princess was giggling.

"I thought it was the men who were supposed to peek." Zaik asked bemused.

"We got tired waiting for you lot." Hotaru replied. I was still not sure if I was happy or not that Ruka had brought her along with him when he had come back.

"Plus, Tsubasa always gives a good razzing to Natsume." Mikan grinned.

"At least be nice enough to only stare at your own man." Zaik growled as he noticed Sarai's eyes travelling over Tsubasa.

I smirked. He was in for it now.

"HA! I told you he'd act like that!" Mikan exclaimed.

"Pay up!" Hotaru told Sarai triumphtantly, and Sarai blushed before handing over her drink to Hotaru.

But the blush vanished as Sarai turned her eyes back to Zaik. "You were supposed to have more sense than a possessive Neanderthal." she told him grumpily, and we laughed.

"You're just as possessive, why are you not losing it yet?" Tsubasa asked curiously.

"There is no threat." I answered easily. That earned me glares from all the men, but I just shrugged. Mikan laughed.

"All right then! We're back to taking a bath. If you guys peek, I'll charge you." Hotaru told us, and all the women slipped back down the bamboo wall.

"That almost sounded like a challenge." I murmured, exchanging an evil look with Ruka.

"Natsume don't!" Mikan called from the other side and I sighed, and just slipped deeper into the water. Ruka and Tsubasa laughed, but I knew they were going to stay put as well.

"Yes Princess." I called back, and I was sure I heard her soft laughter.

It was a good way to end the day, on a note of her laughter. It was the best sound in my world.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**muzikchic4eva**

**yuuki36**

**sEcretmiNdLoLITA**

**KURONEKO**

**MiNsEi**

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**Oh and I was listening to Halo by Beyonce while I came up with this. Thanks Otaku-Mae chan for the song recommendations :) You have no idea how grateful I am!**

* * *

**Normal POV:**

**Night (After the Bath in the Hot Springs) **

Mikan stood waiting and smiled when finally she heard the whisper of leaves behind her. She sighed in pleasure as warm arms wrapped around her. Natsume held her tightly, his chin resting on her head. She smiled more, leaning back into him even as her hands came up and held the back of his.

"I missed you." she murmured, and he lightly kissed her ear.

"And I you, my love." he said softly, his breath caressing her.

Mikan turned in his arms, her eyes beseeching him. "Tell me that it is over now. Your brother is married to the woman he loves and she is a Goddess who will forever be with him. We have finally led your father to the reincarnation of your mother. He will have her forever. Please Natsume, tell me I will never lose you again. Tell me that this is forever. That you will never leave me again."

"I shall never leave you again." Natsume said softly, his voice a vow.

A single tear slid down Mikan's cheek, but Natsume kissed it away, and then he was kissing her. Kissing her like she was air and he was drowning, kissing her like he needed her to live, as if to part from her was to die. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him closer, as she kissed him back with the same desperation. Then her hands were slipping over his chest, tugging at his shirt, and then they parted for a moment as she pulled it away. He made a sound as her hands roved over him before pulling her back in another kiss.

Then suddenly he stopped, his forehead resting against her. They were both panting, and she looked furious that he had stopped. He looked angry as well.

"What?" he snapped, and only then did Mikan realize that they had company.

She turned her head slightly to see Zaik standing there, looking uncomfortable. Her eyes narrowed in fury but she held her temper back, somehow.

"I am taking Sarai to Heaven with me. I wanted to purify Natsume's wings and give you new ones before I left. I have already lifted the curse from you." Zaik explained.

"When will you make Mother a Goddess then?" Natsume asked.

"Once I have recovered." Zaik answered.

"That will take you roughly 50 years." Natsume said softly. He looked at Mikan, their eyes met and they both knew what their decision would be.

"Make her a goddess. Come back to us when you recover. Then you can give me my wings and purify Natsume's wings." Mikan said softly, but her voice sounded strange, even to her; hollow, empty of all emotion.

"But..." Zaik started, and Mikan felt something inside her snap. She whirled around, facing the King of Gods, and he flinched at the pure rage on her face.

"You know there is no choice, and yet you come to us as if there is. Twice you failed to protect your wife. Twice your foolishness cost her her life. Save her now. Make her a Goddess before she dies again. I am done with you. You watched Sarai die two times and you blocked all your emotions. You were a terrible father to Ruka. You would have cost Hotaru her life if we had not interfered. You cursed us." She was screaming in anger now.

"Do you know what the true curse was? 47 times, I watched Natsume die. He was always older than me. So always I watched my love die. After he had breathed his last, I regained all my memories, I had my powers again, and yet he was gone, reborn already, and I could do nothing to bring him back to me. I had to wait until I could die and be reborn too, so that I could be with him again. Two times you watched Sarai die, and you mourned, but still you have no idea how I have suffered. You used to say I was light to Natsume's darkness, but that is far gone. I am the darkness now, I am what your foolishness and your stubborn pride have made me. If you would have just listened and not been so suicidal we would not have had to go to such lengths to get you here and back to your wife."

"You cursed us, and by all that I hold sacred, we have suffered far more than you could ever imagine. Leave us, King of Heaven, before I curse you, and make you understand the sort of pain you inflicted upon me. Come to us on the day that Natsume is to die in this human lifetime. On that day, purify his wings, and give me new ones. Until then I do not wish to lay my eyes upon you." her voice was soft at the end, hurt. She turned to Natsume, tears in her eyes.

"Make him go away." she whispered, and he hugged her tightly.

"Go." Natsume said icily to Zaik who nodded once and vanished.

Natsume turned his head, his eyes meeting Ruka's who stood in the forest, tears glittering on his lashes. With a nod, he too vanished. Mikan had not even known that he was there.

"I tire Natsume. I cannot lose you again. I care not anymore, not for anyone. I want only you, and I want everything else to just go away." she whispered against his skin, her voice broken, just like her heart.

Natsume slowly slid down, his body still tightly clasped to hers, until he was kneeling in front of her.

"We will never part again. I say it is so." Natsume said with a ring of power to his voice.

"So mote it be." Mikan finished for him, and the world shivered around them, as if fate had just been re-written.

She leaned down and kissed him again, and then suddenly he was tumbling her upon a bed. She looked around confused.

"But we were in the forest outside the hot springs.." she asked.

"And now we are in your room in Slana." he kissed her throat. "Is that really what you should be thinking right now?"

Mikan smiled and pulled him up, and kissed him on the lips. Kissed him like he was water, and she had been dying of thirst, kissed him like she needed the air in his lungs to breathe.

* * *

Mikan smiled to herself as she stroked Natsume's chest idly. She was curled into his side, and he was playing with her hair.

"I really blew up on Zaik." she said, not meeting his eyes.

"He deserved it." Natsume said without any pity. Then he chucked her on the chin, making her meet his eyes.

"No one makes you cry. Its good enough that I let him live, don't you dare feel guilty about it." he told her, and she gave him a tremulous smile, before leaning against him again and closing her eyes.

"It is such a pity..."she murmured, and she felt his gaze sharpen.

"What is?" he asked.

"Not being married to you already in this human lifetime." Mikan said with a sigh, looking up at him with guileless eyes, even as her hand inched lower.

He chuckled, and she felt it. It made her smile.

"That is going to be fixed tomorrow. I just teleported the entire caravan back here, and we are getting married tomorrow morning." Natsume stated.

"That almost sounds as if you are in a hurry." Mikan said, dropping a kiss on his shoulder.

"I am in a hurry. Lord Izumi will wipe the floor with me otherwise." Natsume chuckled again at her narrowed eyes. She smacked him.

"Ow" he murmured, but not like it hurt.

"If that is the only reason you wish to be married to me..." Mikan said haughtily, starting to move away from him, but he pulled her back, kissing her deeply.

When they finally rose, both of them gasping for air, he gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"I promised never to be parted from you, my love. My Princess." he said, his love shining in his eyes, and she smiled back, and this time it was his heart that skipped a beat.

"Natsume.. can we.." Mikan stopped, at a loss for words, but he knew what she was talking about. He always knew.

"Can we live this last human lifetime of our curse as the Prince of Tyria and the Seer Mikan? Can we be humans one more time, one last time?" he asked her, and she gave a small nod.

"They deserve it. We are them, and they are us, and yet it is somewhat different. They fought so hard, went through so much to be together. We will have forever, and somehow I do not want to steal anything from them. When we are free from the curse, it will be one more lifetime of memories that we shall have. Can we not give it to them?" Mikan asked softly and he nodded.

"We can and we will. They shall have our memories of when we took over these bodies, and know that we sleep inside them, and that once they are gone, we will still be together, but we will let them live their lives." Natsume said taking her hand in his and planting a kiss on her palm.

"But can we get married first?" he pleaded with puppy dog eyes, making Mikan giggle.

"I suppose... How about we go back to sleep right before the ceremony?" Mikan asked sweetly, and he groaned, making her laugh.

"You were just looking forward to the honeymoon." she scolded, and he raised both his eyebrows.

"Male and In love. What is your point?" he retorted, making her laugh again.

"Let us enjoy the night we have. Tomorrow we go to sleep again, for half a century." she said wistfully and he slowly nodded, before pulling her in for another kiss.

* * *

**Next Morning: **

"I am still not sure how you got back, and how all preparations for your wedding were already done this morning." Lord Izumi said suspiciously.

"Father." Mikan said, and he focussed on her.

"Yes?" Lord Izumi said impatiently.

"This is my wedding day. Shut the hell up!" Mikan snapped, and Lord Izumi jerked in surprise before clicking his gaping mouth closed. Well, that was that. If he muttered one more thing, his own daughter would skewer him. He should have remembered that annoying brides was one of the dumbest things in the world to do.

"Tsubasa." Mikan called, and he jumped to attention, failing to hide his grin at the put down she had just given Lord Izumi.

"Here." She said and waved her hand, and a picture appeared in his mind. A young woman whom he could see clearly.

"She is at the ceremony. Find her. Win her. I have given you so many hints so many times, that even I am bored." Mikan said coolly and he rushed off to find the woman. Pink hair was not that hard to locate and he found her easily. Then he put on the charm. Within 10 minutes, they were friends, and he had a promise from her to see him again after the ceremony. Misaki. _Beautiful name_, Tsubasa thought as he smiled to himself and made his way back to Mikan, who was now ready for the wedding ceremony.

"Finally." She said, but she was smiling. Then she reached up, and gave Tsubasa a chaste kiss on his cheek.

Right at that moment, the gates of the temple were opened, and she looked straight at Natsume, standing near the priest, at the head of the temple.

She blinked, and so did Natsume. In that one instant, the Goddess of Fate and the God of Fire, went back to sleep, and the Prince and His Princess came to the forefront. They were the same, but now most of the powers and most memories were sealed. Their love for each other remained completely unchanged.

* * *

**Morning After the Wedding:**

"This feels surreal." Mikan said softly. She was curled into Natsume's side, her hand idly stroking his chest, while he played with her hair.

"Like it happened before?" he teased, and they both burst out laughing.

He pulled her on top of him, reaching up to cup her face.

"That was their memory. They went back to sleep, and now it is us, and we will make more memories together. A lot more." Natsume said earnestly, and she smiled, but then it turned mischievous.

"The timing was excellent though. Just as you saw me dressed as a bride. I think you stopped breathing for a minute there." Mikan teased.

"I did stop breathing, and it had nothing to do with the God going to sleep, and everything to do with the vision you made in front of me." Natsume murmured, making her blush.

"Now you're shy? What about making your father nearly choke to death when you kissed me in public?" Natsume asked with a grin.

"What about picking me up and carrying me here right after the ceremony?" Mikan asked archly.

"Male, and In love. Your point?" he teased, making her laugh.

Mikan leaned down, resting her forehead against his, her hair sliding around them like a silk curtain.

"I love you. I will always be with you. I do not need to see the future to know that. And the day that I cannot be with you anymore, they will wake up again, and we will still be together forever." Natsume said softly.

Mikan was looking at him with tears glittering in her eyes.

"Forever." she murmured before leaning down to kiss him, proving that she was not shy after all.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

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**Author Note: This is the end of Desert Rose. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and liked my story. All of you made it writing it an experience worth having rather than a chore. I am sorry that I became so slow in my updates at the end. **

**ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!**

* * *

**50 Years Later: **

**Epilogue: **

Kisha (Sarai's daughter and Aoi's reincarnation) hurried towards the hall where she had been told that her adopted parents waited for her. Natsume and Mikan had been gone on a trip for nearly six months, and she had missed them. They had raised her as a daughter after her mother had married Zaik, the King of Heaven, and gone to heaven with him, and somehow she had also gained Mikan's ability to see the future. To everyone's relief, she had not gained Mikan's penchant for spooking the people around her by telling them things in riddles. She was now the Royal Seer of Slana, and the Queen of Slana, since she had married the then Prince, and now King.

She even saw her mother whenever she came to visit, but she was a Goddess now, and as such it was not very often that she visited, mainly because she did not have absolute control of her powers. That was a scary thing to have in a Goddess of Weather. The best example of just how crazy it could be had been when Sarai had made it snow in Slana, in the middle of summer. Kisha chuckled and hurried her pace. She could never see the future of Natsume and Mikan, and so she always was very excited to know what they had been doing while away from her.

"Mother!" her youngest son called from behind her, making her come to an abrupt stop.

"Yes?" she asked and he gave her a brilliant smile before handing her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He too could see the future.

"I had a feeling that you should have this when you see Grandpa and Grandma." he told her.

"Would you like to visit them with me?" she asked and his smile widened and he nodded happily.

"Come along then. You know your grandparents. Mikan will get bored, and then Natsume will do something outrageous to entertain her, and it will make a great story, but whoever ends up being their target will not forgive them for months." she said in mock worry.

"Like that time they convinced Granduncle Tsubasa that he had to search the pond in the garden for a frog that was not there? Or when they made Papa hang himself upside down in the throne room as a way to avoid a sandstorm?" the boy said grinning and she laughed.

"Indeed. Just like that. You'd think a King would know better than to fall for the trap... but _no _your father not only fell for it, he actually laughed his head off when he found he had been tricked. Now they take even more pleasure in harassing poor souls and no one can even get angry because the King himself did not take offense." she said with a sigh, but her eyes were dancing in amusement.

"I heard that wife." The King of Slana, and Kisha's husband said as he too joined them.

She raised and eyebrow and he grinned at her. It was that grin that she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"They were gone too long this time." he said as way of explaining why he too was dropping everything to go meet her errant parents.

"Do my brothers know that they are back?" she asked and the King shrugged.

"Your brothers are the Generals of my army. They know everything. If they did not, your father would have declared them incompetent at their jobs a long time ago." he said calmly and she could only nod in agreement. Natsume loved his sons, but that had not stopped him from training them into being the best Army Generals that Slana had ever had. It helped that all three of them had control over the element of fire.

Kisha scowled as she saw her younger brothers standing near the entrance to the great hall. All three looked somber.

"What's wrong?" the King asked before she could.

"We all had the same dream. Mother wishes all her family to join her tonight in a celebration." the oldest explained, while the others nodded. Just then, all of Kisha's children showed up, and they looked surprised to see everyone who was already there.

"Grandfather summoned us using fire." they explained and she nodded, but she was starting to worry now.

"What of your wives and children?" the King asked his brother-in-laws.

"On their way." came the answer and all of them stood there. Somehow they knew that they had to enter the room together.

Kisha hugged herself, her parents were given to pranks, not theatrics. Why would they summon all their kin so suddenly?

"Maybe they just missed everyone. They were gone for six months after all." her husband said as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him, allowing his presence to relax her, and trying to believe in his words.

When everyone had arrived, they entered the hall together. Kisha gasped at the scene that awaited them. The whole room had been prepared for a feast, and inside Natsume and Mikan were waiting with Tsubasa and Misaki and their family.

Mikan gave them a brilliant smile, that made her look years younger than she was.

"We decided that we wanted to have a party to welcome us back to Slana." she said, her eyes dancing with laughter.

Chuckling, Natsume raised a toast.

"We drink to the health and happiness of our loved ones. We drink to the prosperity of our nation, and we drink to the blessing of being together." he said and everyone cheered.

* * *

"So mother, what are you up to?" Lao asked amused after he and Kisha had cornered Mikan sometime during the celebratory party.

Mikan looked at them innocently. "What are you talking about?" she murmured, and Kisha snorted.

"Your innocent act stopped working a long time ago. You raised us remember?" Lao teased making both Mikan and Kisha laugh. He was Mikan's youngest son, and took the most after her mischievous nature. Mostly because it had taken Natsume's company/presence to allow Mikan to be mischievous, and she was truly a troublemaker by the time he was born.

"Can you not believe that I missed my children?" she asked with a smile and they both could not help but smile back.

"There is a 'But" in there somewhere." Kisha said with a grin.

"Yes but it is not for you to know tonight. You shall have your answer tomorrow morning. Now stop being annoying pests. You are old enough to know better." Mikan said haughtily before stalking off and making both Kisha and Lao chuckle.

"Annoying Mikan tends to backfire." Natsume said calmly and made them both jump.

"Father!" Lao protested.

"If you can't sense me approaching then you deserve to be startled." Natsume was unrepentant.

"What about startling me?" Kisha asked with a pout.

"Blame your brother." Natsume said with a grin and Kisha smacked Lao.

"There, all done. Now will you tell us what is going on?" she asked Natsume who sighed.

"We love you. All of you. You should always know that." he said in a quiet voice.

"Father?" Kisha said softly, and Natsume stilled. She only called him father rarely, and it still had an impact on him.

"Mikan spoke true. You will have your answer tomorrow morning." he said before he followed his wife.

Kisha looked at Lao who shrugged.

"They will tell us when they are ready and you know it as well as I do. All we can do is enjoy this celebration that seems to matter so much to them." he said and she nodded before giving him an impromptu hug. Then they too joined the party which continued into the early hours of morning.

* * *

**Next Morning: **

Kisha hurried to Natsume and Mikan's rooms. They were staying at the Royal palace rather than going to their own palace. She entered the room and stopped.

Slowly tears started to fall from eyes even as she could not keep a small tremulous smile from her lips.

"That was some goodbye." she murmured as she walked backwards until she was out of the room but her gaze was still on the still figures inside.

"Call my husband and brothers. Tell them that my parents said their final goodbyes to us last night." she ordered and the servants hastened to obey.

She kept looking at them. Natsume sat among cushions, his back resting against the wall, while Mikan sat in front of him, her back resting against his chest while he hugged her to himself. They both looked like they were sleeping, but she knew they were gone forever. All over the room were spread white feathers, and in her heart she could make herself believe that angels had escorted them away, even though she knew that it was Zaik who had taken them away.

Her parents were back at their rightful place now.

She wiped her tears away. They were happy, and they deserved joy to honor their passing not sadness. She looked towards the sky and blew it a kiss. Even as she watched another white feather floated downwards waving lazily at her. She smiled even as more tears fell.

The Prince of Tyria and the Seer of Slana were no more, but the God of Fire and the Goddess of Fate would always be there, and they would always be together.


End file.
